Rtif
No,, 280; SECON
SABBATH
SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON
ILIA f
,
14 t k
t.
‘
4110
.'"VIN.
THE BLESSING OF DAILY STUDY
"The beauty and riches of the Word have a transforming influence on
mind and character."—Christ's
Object Lessons,
page 132.
"There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the intellect than the study
of the Scriptures. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give
vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God's
Word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a
nobility of character, and a stability of purpose rarely seen in these times."—
Steps to Christ,
page 9o.
My Daily Lesson Study Pledge
As one who greatly desires to improve his knowledge of the Scriptures,
I
pledge
myself to the careful and prayerful study of some portion of my Sabbath school
lesson each day of the week.
Nes
Lesson Titles for the Quarter
1.
The Creator of the Universe
2.
God's Guidebook
3.
God Created the Heaven and the Earth
4.
Days One to Five of Creation Week
5.
The Sixth Day of Creation Week
6.
The Memorial of Creation
7.
The Biblical Portrayal of Origins
8.
The Creator-Sustainer; His Servants
9.
The Origin of False Scientific Theories
10.
Results of Man's Sin, in the Natural World
11.
The Antediluvian World
12.
The Flood
13.
Aftereffects of the Flood
Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly, No. 280, April-June, 1965. 20 cents a single copy, 75 cents a
year (four issues) ; no additional charge to countries requiring extra postage. Published in the U.S.A.
by Pacific Press Publishing Association (a corporation of S.D.A.), 1350 Villa Street, Mountain View,
California 94041. Second-class mail privileges authorized at Mountain View, California. Form 3579
requested. When a change of address is desired, please be sure to send both old and new addresses.
Copyright, 1965, by Pacific Press Publishing Association
Printed in U.S.A.
Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly
WHEN THE WORLD WAS YOUNG
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
"As regards this earth, Scripture declares
the work of creation to have been com-
pleted. 'The works were finished from the
foundation of the world.' Heb. 4:3. But
the power of God is still exercised in up-
holding the objects of His creation. . . .
Every breath, every pulsation of the heart,
is an evidence of the care of Him in whom
we live and move and have our being.
"Not by its own inherent energy does
the earth produce its bounties, and year
by year continue its motion around the sun.
An unseen hand guides the planets in their
circuit of the heavens.
"The God of heaven is constantly at
work. It is by His power that vegetation
is caused to flourish, that every leaf ap-
pears and every flower blooms. Every drop
of rain or flake of snow, every spire of
grass, every leaf and flower and shrub,
testifies of God. . . .
"Many teach that matter possesses vital
power, . . . and that the operations of
nature are conducted in harmony with fixed
laws, with which God Himself cannot in-
terfere. This is false science, and is not
sustained by the Word of God. Nature
is the servant of her Creator. God does
not annul His laws, or work contrary to
them; but He is continually using them as
His instruments.
"God's handiwork in nature is not. God
Himself in nature. . . . While nature is an
expression of God's thought, it is not na-
ture but the God of nature that is to be
exalted. . . .
"The hand that sustains the worlds in
space, the hand that holds in their orderly
arrangement and tireless activity all things
throughout the universe of God, is the
hand that was nailed to the cross for us."
—The Faith I Live By,
page 28.
Lesson 1, for April 3, 1965
The Creator of the Universe
MEMORY VERSE:
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being
rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what
is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height
;
and to know the love of
Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness
of God." Eph. 3:17-19.
STUDY HELPS:
"Evangelism," pages 613-617; "Patriarchs and Prophets," pages
33-43; "Selected Messages," b. 1, pp. 246-251.
AIM:
To help the student gain a fuller appreciation of the nature and character of
the Creator.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
❑
Monday: Questions 4-8.
❑
Tuesday: Questions 9-12.
❑
Check Here
Wednesday: Questions 13, 14;
begin reading study helps.
Thursday: Read study helps.
Friday: Review entire lesson.
[3
1
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. Origin of All Material Things
1. Creation of all material things.
John 1:1-3; Heb. 11:3.
II. The Nature of God
2.
His eternity. Ps. 90:1, 2; Isa. 40:28.
3.
His omnipresence. Ps. 139 : 7-12 ;
Jer. 23:23, 24.
4.
His omniscience. Col. 2:2, 3; Isa.
40:28.
S. His omnipotence. Jer. 32:17; Matt.
19:26.
6.
His self-existence. Ex. 3:13-15.
7.
His infiniteness. Ps. 8:3, 4; Eccl.
8:17.
8. His unchangeableness. Mal. 3:6;
James 1:17.
III. The Unity and Trinity of God
9. Only one true God. Deut. 6:4; Isa.
44:6.
10. Three Persons in the Deity. Matt.
28:19, 20; 2 Cor. 13:14.
11. The Father-Son relationship. John
1:1-3; 17:5.
12. God present by the Holy Spirit.
John 16:7, 13.
IV. God's Paternal Interest in Man
13. His knowledge of man. Ps. 139:
1-18, 23, 24.
14. His love for man. 1 John 4:8; Eph.
3:17-19.
THE LESSON
Introduction
"God reveals to us as much of His wis-
dom as it is best for us to comprehend.
He reveals what we need to understand of
His eternal nature, His ability to accom-
plish what He wills (omnipotence), His per-
fect knowledge (omniscience), His all-
pervading presence (omnipresence), and His
perfect character. He has made plain
His relationship to man by setting forth His
plan of life. He reveals His interest in this
world in His way of dealing with His crea-
tion-including what is in store for the
future. It has been left with us individually
to determine how we will use the means
God has provided for us to discover Him
and His will for. us. The fullest, clearest,
and most specific revelation of God is the
Bible. However, there are several other
methods of revelation which make large
contributions to our understanding."-T. H.
Jemison,
Christian Beliefs,
pages 3, 4.
These other methods of revelation are
through nature, through human relation-
ships such as the love that exists between
human beings, through Jesus Christ,
through divine providence, through per-
sonal experience, and through the Holy
Spirit.
Origin of All Material Things
The Nature of God
2.
What does the Bible tell us of
the eternity of God's existence? Ps.
90:1, 2; Isa. 40:28.
NOTE.-"In the Word, God is spoken of
as 'the everlasting God' This name em-
braces past, present, and future. God is
from everlasting to everlasting. He is the
Eternal
One."-Testimonies,
vol. 8, p. 270.
3.
What does the Bible say about
God's presence? Ps. 139:7-12; Jer.
23:23, 24.
4.
What is said of the Creator's
wisdom and knowledge? Col. 2:2, 3;
Isa. 40:28.
5.
What does the Bible reveal re-
garding the power of God? Jer. 32:
17; Matt. 19:26.
1. How did all material things
come into being? John 1:1-3; Heb.
6. What divine title implies that
11:3.
God is self-existing? Ex. 3:13-15.
[ 4 ]
NOTE.—"I
am that I am. . . .
In Hebrew
as in English, this name is a form of the
verb 'to be,' and implies that its possessor
is the eternal, self-existing One (see John
8:58; DA 469). Its all-embracing univer-
sality precluded any comparison of the God
of the Israelites to the deities of Egypt and
other nations. It was designed to provide
Moses and his people with strong consola-
tion in their affliction and powerful sup-
port for their confidence in the realization
of His purpose to deliver them."—S.D.A.
Bible Commentary,
on Ex. 3:14.
7.
How is the greatness of God con-
trasted with the finite limitations of
man? Ps. 8:3,
4; Ecd. 8:17.
NOTE.—"A
wise man.
Man is privileged
to study God's created works, and His
revealed Word; but he must beware of be-
ing `wise in his own conceit' (Prov. 26:5)
and of thinking himself able to comprehend
the depths of divinity (see Job
11:7)."—
S.D.A. Bible Commentary,
on Eccl. 8:17.
8.
How is God's unchangeableness
described? Mal. 3:6; James
1:17.
Compare Heb. 13:8.
Nora.—"Man may change his relation to
God by complying with the conditions upon
which he may be brought into the divine
favor, or he may, by his own action, place
himself outside the favoring condition; but
the Lord is the same 'yesterday, and today,
and forever.' . . . With Him [God] there
`is no variableness, neither shadow of turn-
ing.'
"—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 630.
The Unity and Trinity of God
9.
How emphatic are the Scriptures
about there being but one true God?
Deut.
6:4;
Isa.
44:6.
10.
Which three Persons are named
together as members of the Deity?
Matt. 28:19, 20; 2 Cor. 13:14.
Nom—"There are three living Persons
of the heavenly Trio; in the name of these
three great Powers—the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit—those who receive
Christ by living faith are baptized, and
these Powers will cooperate with the obedi-
ent subjects of heaven in their efforts to
live the new life in
Christ."—Evangelism,
page 615.
11.
How far back into eternity has
Christ, the "Word," been one with
the Father? John 1:1-3;
17:5.
NOTE.—"From the days of eternity the
Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father;
He was `the image of God,' the image of
His greatness and majesty, 'the outshin-
ing of His glory.'
"—The Desire of Ages,
page 19.
"Christ was God essentially, and in the
highest sense. He was with God from all
eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore."
—Ellen G. White,
Review and Herald,
April 5, 1906.
Before the entrance of sin among the
angels, "Christ the Word, the Only-Begot-
ten of God, was one with the eternal Father
—one in nature, in character, and in pur-
pose—the only Being in all the universe
that could enter into all the counsels and
purposes of God. By Christ the Father
wrought in the creation of all heavenly
beings."—The
Great Controversy,
page 493.
"From all eternity Christ was united with
the Father, and when He took upon, Him-
self human nature, He was still one with
God."—Ellen G. White,
The Signs of the
Times,
August 2, 1905.
12.
How is God ever present with
His people on earth? John
16:7,
13.
Compare Gen. 1:2.
Nora.—"The greatness of God is to us
incomprehensible. 'The Lord's throne is in
heaven' (Psalm 11:4) ; yet by His Spirit
He is everywhere present. He has an inti-
mate knowledge of, and a personal interest
in, all the works of His
hand."—Education,
page 132.
(5
1
God's Paternal Interest in Man
13.
How completely is God ac-
quainted with our lives? Ps. 139:1-
18, 23, 24.
NorE.—"Our God has heaven and earth
at His command, and He knows just what
we need. We can see only a little way be-
fore us; 'but all things are naked and
opened unto the eyes of Him with whom
we have to do.' Hebrews 4:13. Above the
distractions of the earth He sits en-
throned; all things are open to His divine
survey; and from His great and calm eter-
nity He orders that which His providence
sees
best."—Testimonies,
vol. 8, pp. 272,
273.
14.
Which of the attributes of God
is frequently emphasized? 1 John
4:8; Eph. 3:17-19.
NOTE.
-"All
the paternal love which has
come down from generation to generation
through the channel of human hearts, all
the springs of tenderness which have
opened in the souls of men, are but as a
tiny rill to the boundless ocean when com-
pared with the infinite, exhaustless love of
God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot
portray it. You may meditate upon it
every day of your life; you may search
the Scriptures diligently in order to under-
stand it; you may summon every power
and capability that God has given you, in
the endeavor to comprehend the love and
compassion of the heavenly Father; and
yet there is an infinity beyond. You may
study that love for ages; yet you can never
fully comprehend the length and the
breadth, the depth and the height, of the
love of God in giving His Son to die for
the world. Eternity itself can never fully
reveal
it."—Testimonies, vol. 5,
p. 740.
Lesson 2, for April
10, 1965
God's Guidebook
MEMORY VERSE:
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
Ps. 119:105.
STUDY HELPS: "The Great Controversy," pages v-xii; "Selected Messages," b. 1, pp.
15-23, or "S.D.A. Bible Commentary," vol. 7, pp. 944-946; "Fundamentals of
Christian Education," pages 307-309.
AIM: To give an appreciation of the Bible as God's Inspired Word.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check
Here
Sabbath afternoon: General
survey.
❑
Sunday: Questions 1-4.
❑
Monday: Questions 5-7.
❑
Tuesday: Questions 8-10.
❑
Check Here
Wednesday: Questions 11-13;
begin reading study
helps.
Thursday: Read study helps.
Friday: Review entire lesson.
❑
E
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. Authorship and Writing of the Bible
1.
The source of Scripture. 2 Tim.
3:16.
2.
Its
divine Agent. 2 Peter 1:21.
3.
Its human agents. Heb. 1:1,
2; 2:3.
4.
Role of the Holy Spirit.
1
Cor.
2:12, 13; 2 Peter 1:21.
II. Old Testament Claims to Divine
Inspiration
5.
Three divisions
of
the Old Testa-
ment. Luke 24:44.
f 6 l
6.
Writers delivered God's messages.
Jer. 37:1, 2 ; Ezek. 3:17; Hosea 1:1.
7.
Writers recognize writings of other
prophets. Joshua 1:7, 8; Neh.
8:1-3; Dan. 9:1, 2, 11, 13; Mal.
4:4.
III. New Testament Writers Dependent
on Earlier Scriptures
8.
New Testament writers accept the
authority of the Old Testament.
John 19:36; Acts 1:16; Eph. 2:20;
2 Tim. 3:15-17.
9.
Peter's appeal to the Old Testa-
ment. 2 Peter 3:2, 15, 16.
10.
Paul a spokesman for God. 1 Cor.
2:13; 14:37.
IV. Christ Confirmed the Inspiration
of the Old Testament
11.
Christ accepted the Old Testament
as true. Matt. 5:17, 18; 'Luke
16:31; John 5:39.
12.
Acceptance of Christ requires belief
in Old Testament. John 5:46, 47.
13.
Value of Inspired Word to the be-
liever. Ps. 119:105.
THE LESSON
Introduction
"During the first twenty-five hundred
years of human history, there was no writ-
ten revelation. Those who had been
taught of God, communicated their knowl-
edge to others, and it was handed down
from father to son, through successive gen-
erations. The preparation of the Written
Word began in the time of Moses. Inspired
revelations were then embodied in an in-
spired book. This work continued during
the long period of sixteen hundred years—
from Moses, the historian of creation and
the law, to John, the recorder of the most
sublime truths of the gospel."—The
Great
Controversy,
page v.
"There should be a settled faith in the
divinity of God's Holy Word. The Bible
is not to be tested by men's ideas of science,
but science is to be brought to the test of
this unerring standard. When the Bible
makes statements of facts in nature, science
may be compared with the Written Word,
and a correct understanding of both will
always prove them to be in harmony. One
does not contradict the other."—Ellen G.
White,
Signs of the Times,
March 13, 1884.
Authorship and Writing of the
Bible
1. Whence came the Holy Scrip-
tures? 2 Tim. 3:16.
NoTE.—"All
scripture.
Although Paul
here refers specifically to the OT, his state-
ment is also true of the NT. God does not
authorize men to attempt to differentiate
between that which they suppose to be
divinely inspired and that which they as-
sume to be merely a product of human in-
genuity."—S.D.A.
Bible Commentary,
on
2 Tim. 3:16.
"Every part of the Bible is given by in-
spiration of God and is profitable."—Coun-
sets to Parents, Teachers, and Students,
page 462.
"The Bible should ever have been made
the great, grand book of study, which has
come down to us from heaven, and is the
word of
life."—Fundamentals of Christian
Education,
page 384.
2.
By whom were the prophets
moved to deliver God's messages to
men? 2 Peter 1:21.
NOTE.—"We point you, dear brethren, to
the Bible. Inspired of God, written by
holy men, it points out with great clear-
ness and precision the duties of both old
and young. It elevates the mind, softens
the heart, and imparts gladness and holy
joy to the spirit. The Bible presents a
perfect standard of character; it is an infal-
lible guide under all circumstances, even
to the end of the journey of life. Take it
as the man of your counsel, the rule of
your daily
life."—Testimonies, vol.
5, p.
264.
3.
Who were the human agents
through whom the Bible came to
men? Heb. 1:1, 2; 2:3. Compare 2
Peter 1:21.
[
7
l
NOTE.—"The Bible points to God as its
author; yet it was written by human
hands; and in the varied style of its dif-
ferent books it presents the characteristics
of the several writers. The truths revealed
are all 'given by inspiration of God' (2
Timothy 3:16) ; yet they are expressed in
the words of men. The Infinite One by His
Holy Spirit has shed light into the minds
and hearts of His servants. He has given
dreams and visions, symbols and figures;
and those to whom the truth was thus re-
vealed have themselves embodied the
thought in human language.
"The Ten Commandments were spoken
by God Himself, and were written by His
own hand. They are of divine, and not
of human composition. But the Bible, with
its God-given truths expressed in the lan-
guage of men, presents a union of the di-
vine and the human. Such a union existed
in the nature of Christ, who was the Son
of God and the Son of man. Thus it is true
of the Bible, as it was of Christ, that 'the
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us.' John
1:14."—The Great Controversy,
pages v, vi.
"The Scriptures were given to men, not
in a continuous chain of unbroken utter-
ances, but piece by piece through succes-
sive generations, as God in His providence
saw a fitting opportunity to impress man
at sundry times and divers places. Men
wrote as they were moved upon by the
Holy Ghost. . . .
"The Bible is written by inspired men,
but it is not God's mode of thought and
expression. It is that of humanity. God, as
a writer, is not represented. Men will often
say such an expression is not like God. But
God has not put Himself in words, in logic,
in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writ-
ers of the Bible were God's penmen, not
His
pen."—Selected Messages,
b. 1, pp.
19-21.
4. What part did the Holy Spirit
take in the declaration of God's re-
vealed will through the prophets?
1 Cor. 2:12, 13; 2 Peter 1:21.
NOTE.—Of her own experience, Ellen G.
White wrote: "Although I am as depen-
dent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing
my views as I am in receiving them, yet
the words I employ in describing what I
have seen are my own, unless they be
those spoken to me by an angel, which
I always enclose in marks of quotation."—
Review and Herald,
Oct. 8, 1867; quoted
in
Messenger to the Remnant,
page 13.
Old Testament Claims to Divine
Inspiration
5.
In His interview on the way to
Emmaus, what sections of the Old
Testament did Jesus recognize as con-
taining prophecies concerning Him-
self? Luke 24:44.
NoTE.—The Jews considered that the
Old Testament was made up of "the law"
(the five books of Moses commonly called
the Pentateuch), "the prophets," and "the
psalms," or writings.
6.
What claim did Old Testament
writers make for what they wrote?
Jer. 37:1, 2; Ezek. 3:17; Hosea 1:1.
7.
How did writers of the Old
Testament show their acceptance of
the writings of other prophets?
Joshua 1:7, 8; Neh. 8:1-3; Dan. 9:1, 2,
11, 13; Mal. 4:4.
New Testament Writers Dependent
on Earlier Scriptures
8.
How did New Testament writers
look upon the Old Testament? John
19:36; Acts 1:16; Eph. 2:20; 2 Tim.
3:15-17.
NoTE.—New Testament writers quote
the Old Testament hundreds of times, al-
ways in full confidence that it was, indeed,
God's revealed and inspired Word.
9.
What was Peter's witness con-
cerning the Old Testament? 2 Peter
3:2, 15, 16.
{8]
"The appreciation of the Bi-
ble grows with its study."—
Christ's Object Lessons,
page
132.
10.
To what source does Paul at-
tribute his messages and those of his
colleagues? 1 Cor. 2:13; 14:37.
Christ Confirmed the Inspiration
of the Old Testament
11.
What was Christ's attitude
toward the inspiration of the Old
Testament writings? Matt. 5:17, 18;
Luke 16:31; John 5:39.
12.
How important is the Old
Testament in man's acceptance of
Christ as the Redeemer? John 5:
46, 47.
NoTE.—"In teaching these disciples, Je-
sus showed the importance of the Old
Testament as a witness to His mission.
Many professed Christians now discard the
Old Testament, claiming, that it is no longer
of any use. But such is not Christ's teach-
ing. So highly did He value it that at one
time He said, 'If they hear not Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be per-
suaded, though one rose from the dead.'
Luke 16:31."—The
Desire of Ages,
page
799.
13.
What do the assertions of the
Bible become to the one who accepts
their divine origin? Ps. 119:105.
NoTE.—"Before the entrance of sin,
Adam and Eve in Eden were surrounded
with' a clear and beautiful light, the light
of God. This light illuminated everything
which they approached. There was noth-
ing to obscure their perception of the
character or the works of God. But when
they yielded to the tempter, the light de-
parted from them. In losing the garments
of holiness, they lost the light that had
illuminated nature. No longer could they
read it aright. They could not discern the
character of God in His works. So today
man cannot of himself read aright the
teaching of nature. Unless guided by divine
wisdom, he exalts nature and the laws of
nature above nature's God. This is why
mere human ideas in regard to science so
often contradict the teaching of God's
Word. But for those who receive the light
of the life of Christ, nature is again illumi-
nated. In the light shining from the cross,
we can rightly interpret nature's teaching."
—The Ministry of Healing,
pages 461, 462.
"The Word of God is to stand as the
highest educating Book in our world, and
is to be treated with reverential awe. It is
our Guidebook; we shall receive from it
the
truth."—Fundamentals of Christian
Education,
page 384.
Lesson 3, for April 17, 1965
God Created the Heaven and the Earth
MEMORY VERSE:
"By faith we understand that the world was created by the word
of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear."
Heb. 11:3, R.S.V.
STUDY HELPS:
"S.D.A. Bible Commentary," on Gen. 1:1. Also in the same source,
vol. 1, p. 218, "Additional Note on Chapter 1."
AIM:
To
locate the origin of our earth in relation to the fall of Lucifer. _
9
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
Wednesday:
Questions 9-11.
❑
Sunday:
Questions 1-3.
❑
Thursday: Read study helps.
❑
Monday: Questions 4-6.
❑
Friday:
Review entire lesson.
❑
Tuesday: Questions 7, 8.
❑
Introduction
The story of creation found in Genesis 1
is simple, direct, and shorn of all extrane-
ous detail. It is true history, not myth,
fable, or legend. Here God is identified as
the Originator of all things. But certain
students of earth science, rejecting the lit-
eral Genesis account of the creation of our
world, developed the idea known today as
theistic evolution, a speculative theory
which assumes that God created this world
through the evolutionary process. They
tried to harmonize the Bible account of
creation with their theory by proposing
that a great stretch of time elapsed between
the action of Genesis 1, verses 1 and 2, and
that of verse 3. What follows, they averred,
was a highly figurative account of how this
earth and all living things upon it evolved
by a uniform process of changes or de-
velopments over a long period of time.
The doctrine of organic evolution thus
came to birth; that is, the teaching that
all
plants and animals have developed from
one or a few simple blobs of protoplasm
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. How Our Earth Came Into Being
1.
Origin of our earth. Gen. 1:1; Ex.
20:11.
2.
All things carefully planned by
God. Jer. 10:12.
3.
Laying earth's foundations. Ps.
102:25; Heb. 1:10.
II. The Creative Process
4.
The earth and the Sabbath. Gen.
2:2, 3; Ex. 20:11.
5.
"By the word of the Lord." Ps.
33:6, 9.
6. God not dependent on preexisting
matter. Heb. 11:3.
III. Lucifer's Fall and the Creation of
the Earth
7. Time of Lucifer's fall and the crea-
tion of man.
8. Other beings before man. Job
38:4-7.
IV.
A New Creation
9. New heavens and earth. Isa. 65:17;
2 Peter 3:13.
10. A new heart and spirit. Ezek.
36:26; 11:19; 2 Cor. 5:17; Heb.
12:2.
11. His preeminence in all things. Col.
1:16-18.
THE LESSON
through a continuance of millions of years.
According to this idea, these organic
changes in plants and animals took place
in harmony with uniform or established
principles of growth and development, the
laws of nature operating without interrup-
tion as they had for centuries and millen-
niums, almost always on the upward scale
and progressively. But, as the theory says,
immense periods of time were needed to
reach the present level of development in
man, beast, and plant.
Now, if the doctrines of uniformitarian-
ism and organic evolution were true, much
more time would be necessary than the
Bible allows for the period from creation
week to our day. As a matter of fact, how-
ever, both are mere speculative theories and
lack valid scientific confirmation.
If a group of modern observers had vis-
ited Eden late Friday afternoon of crea-
tion week and examined Adam and Eve,
they would have concluded that all lines
of physiological evidence indicated that
our first parents were probably about
twenty-five years old. From the point of
[ 10
"As an educating power, the
Bible is without a rival. In
the Word of God the mind
finds subject for the deepest
thought, the loftiest aspira-
tion."—Patriarchs
and
Prophets,
page 596.
view of natural science their conclusion
would have been completely valid, but
they would have been mistaken—because
Adam's age was only apparent.
How Our Earth Came Into Being
1.
What was the origin of our
earth? Gen. 1:1; Ex. 20:11.
NOTE.—The omnipotent God who existed
before our earth (Ps. 90:2), brought our
earth into being by an act of special crea-
tion. The very first verse of Genesis set-
tles the question of its origin.
"Genesis 1:1 affirms that God is before
all else and that He is the one and only
cause of all else. This verse is the foun-
dation of all right thinking in regard to the
material world. . . .
"No declaration could be more appropri-
ate as an introduction to Holy Writ. At the
outset the reader is introduced to an Omnip-
otent Being, possessed of personality, will,
and purpose, who, existing before all else
and thus dependent on nought else, exer-
cised His divine will and 'created the
heaven and the earth.'
"—S.D.A. Bible
Commentary,
on Genesis
1:1.
2.
In contrast to the popular doc-
trine that our earth came into being
by chance, more or less as the result
of a cosmic accident, what do the
Scriptures declare concerning its ori-
gin? Jer. 10:12.
NOTE.—"All created things, in their orig-
inal perfection, were an expression of the
thought of God. . . . Upon every page of
the great volume of His created works
may still be traced His handwriting."—
Education,
pages 16, 17.
3.
By what expression is the bring-
ing of our earth into existence de-
scribed? Ps. 102:25; Heb. 1:10.
The Creative Process
4.
In point of time, how is the Sab-
bath related to the creation of the
earth? Gets. 2:2, 3; Ex. 20:11.,
NOTE.—"At the creation, when the foun-
dations of the earth were laid, the sons of
God looked with admiration upon the work
of the Creator, and all the heavenly host
shouted for joy. It was then that the foun-
dation of the Sabbath was
laid."—Early
Writings,
page. 217.
"The Sabbath institution, which origi-
nated in Eden, is as old as the world itself."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 336.
5.
How does the psalmist describe
the creative process? Ps. 33:6, 9.
6.
In the creation of this world,
upon what was God not dependent?
Heb. 11:3.
NOTE.—"The work of creation can never
be explained by science. . . .
"The theory that God did not create mat-
ter when He brought the world into exis-
tence is without foundation. In the forma-
tion of our world, God was not indebted to
preexisting matter. On the contrary, all
things, material or spiritual, stood up before
the Lord Jehovah at His voice and were
created for His own purpose. The heavens
and all the host of them, the earth and all
things therein, are not only the work of His
hand; they came into existence by the
breath of His
mouth."—Testimonies,
vol.
8, pp. 258, 259.
1
11
Lucifer's Fall and the Creation
of the Earth
7.
How were the casting out of
Lucifer and the creation of man re-
lated in point of time?
Answer:
"The Son of God and true,
loyal angels prevailed; and Satan and his
sympathizers were expelled from heaven.
. . . The Father consulted His Son in re-
gard to at once carrying out Their purpose
to make man to inhabit the earth. . . . The
Father and Son carried out Their purpose,
which was designed before the fall of
Satan, to make man in Their own image."
—The Story of Redemption,
pages 19, 20
NOTE.—"The Son of God had wrought
the Father's will in the creation of all the
host of heaven; and to Him, as well as to
God, their homage and allegiance were due.
Christ was still to exercise divine power, in
the creation of the earth and its inhabi-
tants."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 36.
"Especially was His Son to work in
union with Himself [the Father] in the
anticipated creation of the earth and every
living thing that should exist upon the
earth."—The
Spirit of Prophecy
(1870),
vol. 1, p. 18.
8.
What other created beings were
already in existence when the founda-
tions of our earth were laid? Job
38:4-7.
NOTE.—"God's government included not
only the inhabitants of heaven, but of all
the worlds that He had created; and Luci-
fer had concluded that if he could carry
the angels of heaven with him in rebellion,
be could carry also all the worlds. . . .
"It was therefore necessary to demon-
strate before the inhabitants of heaven, and
of all the worlds, that God's government is
just, His law perfect. . . . The inhabitants
of heaven and of the worlds, being unpre-
pared to comprehend the nature or con-
sequences of sin, could not then have seen
the justice of God in the destruction of
Satan."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
pages
41, 42.
A New Creation
9.
What will God eventually do for
our world? Isa. 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13.
NOTE.—"The fire that consumes the
wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of
the curse is swept
away."—The Great Con-
troversy,
page 674.
10.
What does the Creator of
heaven and earth wish to do for us
individually? Ezek. 36:26; 11:19; 2
Cor. 5:17; Heb. 12:2.
11.
What place does the Creator
desire to have in our lives? Col. 1:
16-18.
Lesson 4, for April 24, 1965
Days One to Five of Creation Week
MEMORY VERSE:
"Bless the Lord, 0 my soul. 0 Lord my God, Thou art very great;
Thou art clothed with honor and majesty." Ps. 104:1.
STUDY HELPS:
"Education," pages 128-134; "S.D.A. Bible Commentary."
AIM:
To gain an understanding of the Lord's activities during the first five days
of creation week.
[ 12
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
❑
Monday: Questions 4-6.
❑
Tuesday: Questions 7-9.
❑
Check Here
Wednesday: Questions 10-12.
❑
Thursday: Read study helps.
❑
Friday: Review entire lesson.
❑
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. The First Day
1.
Work accomplished on first day.
Gen. 1:1-5.
2.
How the earth is supported in
space. Job 26:7.
3.
Light in God's presence. Ps. 27:1;
104:1, 2; 1 Tim. 6:15, 16.
4.
Divisions of each twenty-four-hour
day. Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31.
5.
Length of the days. Ex. 20:8-11.
II. The Second Day
6. Creation of firmament. Gen. 1:6-8.
III. The Third Day
7.
Gathering of the waters; appear-
ance of dry land. Gen. 1:9, 10.
8.
Appearance of vegetation. Gen.
1:11, 12.
9.
Entire earth under vegetation.
Gen. 1:29.
IV. The Fourth Day
10. Sun, moon, and stars. Gen.
1:14-18.
V. The Fifth Day
11. Water animals and flying forms.
Gen. 1:20-22; 2:19.
VI. Quality of the Finished Work
12. Excellence of creation. Gen.
1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21.
THE LESSON
Introduction
"The Bible is the most instructive and
comprehensive history that has ever been
given to the world. Its sacred pages con-
tain the only authentic account of the crea-
tion. Here we behold the power that
`stretched forth the heavens, and laid the
foundations of the earth.'
"-Fundamentals
of Christian Education,
page 84.
The First Day
1.
What work was accomplished
on the first day of creation week?
Gen. 1:1-5.
2.
Upon what support does the
earth rest? Job 26:7.
NOTE.
-"The
hand that sustains the
worlds in space, the hand that holds in
their orderly arrangement and tireless ac-
tivity all things throughout the universe of
God, is the hand that was nailed to the
cross for
us."-Education,
page 132.
3.
With whom do Bible writers
commonly associate light? Ps. 27:1;
104:1, 2; 1 Tim. 6:15, 16. Compare
2 Cor. 4:6.
NOTE.
-"In
the manifestation of God to
His people, light had ever been a symbol
of His presence. At the creative word in
the beginning, light had shone out of
darkness."-The
Desire of Ages,
page 464.
We are not told the source of light on the
first day of creation week, except that God
provided it. With the appearance of this
[13
7
light the succession of night and day be-
gan.
4.
Name the divisions of the day
in the order of their occurrence. Gen.
1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31.
NOTE.—The Hebrew people began the
day with sunset and ended it with the
following sunset. See Lev. 23:32 and Deut.
16:6.
"When the Lord declares that He made
the world in six days and rested on the
seventh day, He means the day of twenty-
four
hours."—Testimonies to Ministers,
page 136.
5.
How long were the days of crea-
tion week? Ex. 20:8-11. Compare
Gen. 1:31 to 2:3.
NoTE.—Elsewhere in the Old Testament
numbers used with "day," as adjectives—
"first day," "fourth day," "seventh day,"
etc.—denote a twenty-four-hour solar day.
See, for instance, Gen. 22:4; Ex. 16:5; 40:2,
17; Num. 29:23, 26; Joshua 6:14. There is
no reason for concluding that the seven
days of creation week were different. If
each "day" of creation week was actually
a long geological age, a strange imbalance
in nature would have persisted for great
periods of time. How, for instance, would
the great number of plants that depend
upon birds and animals for pollination—
created on the third "day"—have propa-
gated themselves until the latter were cre-
ated, two or three ages later? Nor can the
idea be reconciled with the fact that Adam
died at an age of 930 years. The simple,
clear, straightforward account of Genesis
1 requires a day of twenty-four hours.
"Of each successive day of creation, the
Sacred Record declares that it consisted of
the evening and the morning, like all other
days that have
followed."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 112.
The Second Day
6.
Describe the work of the second
day. Gen. 1:6-8.
The Third Day
7.
What was the first act of the
third day? Gen. 1:9, 10.
NOTE.—"As the earth came forth from
the hand of its Maker, it was exceedingly
beautiful. Its surface was diversified with
mountains, hills, and plains, interspersed
with noble rivers and lovely lakes; but the
hills and mountains were not abrupt and
rugged, abounding in terrific steeps and
frightful chasms, as they now do; the sharp,
ragged edges of earth's rocky framework
were buried beneath the fruitful soil, which
everywhere produced a luxuriant growth
of
verdure."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 44.
8.
What else was done on the third
day? Gen. 1:11, 12.
NoTE.—No process of organic evolution
is here described. At the Creator's com-
mand, all kinds of plants from lowly car-
peting forms to lofty trees appeared mi-
raculously from the earth. Reproductive
mechanisms were established within the
plants, giving rise to new generations of the
same basic kinds, or types, as their parents.
Because of this law of creation, thousands
of years later we still see original basic
types of plants, as illustrated by roses,
gladiolus, potatoes, coconut palms, oaks,
and others.
9.
How extensive was the earth's
vegetation? Gen. 1:29.
NoTE.—"The sharp, ragged edges of
earth's rocky framework were buried be-
neath the fruitful soil, which everywhere
produced a luxuriant growth of verdure.
There were no loathsome swamps or bar-
ren deserts. Graceful shrubs and delicate
flowers greeted the eye at every turn. The
heights were crowned with trees more ma-
jestic than any that now
exist."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 44.
[14
]
The Fourth Day
10. Summarize the work of the
fourth day of creation week. Gen.
1:14-18.
Hebrew of Genesis 1:20 reads literally,
"Let the waters swarm with swarms of liv-
ing souls, and let birds fly above the
ground."
Quality of the Finished Work
NOTE.—The "stars" of verse 16 are pos-
sibly the planets of our solar system.
There have been good Bible students who
have held that the sun and moon were first
brought into existence on the fourth day,
and there have been other equally good
Bible students who have held that on this
day they were set apart for signs and sea-
sons and days and years.
The Fifth Day
11. Upon what day did the first
forms of animal life appear, and to
what habitats were they adapted?
Gen. 1:20-22; 2:19.
NoTE.—According to Genesis 2:19, flying
forms were made "out of the ground." The
12. How is the quality of the work
of each of the first five days described?
Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21.
NOTE.—In the creation of our earth, as
in every other project He has undertaken,
all God's works are excellent, perfect, and
adequate for the purpose for which they
were made.
"The beautiful things of nature reveal
His character and His power as Creator.
They are His gift to the race, to show His
power, and to show that He is a God of
love. But no one is authorized to say that
God Himself in person is in flower or leaf
or tree. These things are God's handiwork,
revealing His love for mankind."—Life
Sketches,
page 94.
Lesson 5, for May 1, 1965
The Sixth Day of Creation Week
MEMORY VERSE:
"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
Gen. 2:7.
STUDY HELPS:
"S.D.A. Bible Commentary;" "Patriarchs and Prophets," pages 44-
51
AIM:
To study the origin of land animals and man.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
❑
Monday: Questions 4-7.
❑
Tuesday: Questions 8-11.
❑
Check Here
Wednesday: Questions 12, 13; be-
gin reading study helps.
Thursday: Read study helps.
Friday: Review entire lesson.
[ 15 ]
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. Organisms of the Dry Land
1.
Appearance of land animals. Gen.
1:24, 25.
2.
No "spontaneous generation." Gen.
1:31 to 2:3; Ex. 20:11; Heb. 4:3.
3.
"After his kind." Gen. 1:11, 12, 21,
24, 25.
II. Creation of Adam and Eve
4.
Steps in the creation of man. Gen.
2:7.
5.
Eve's origin. Gen. 2:18-24.
III. Man's Nature
6.
In the image of God. Gen. 1:27.
7.
Man's relationship to God. Luke
3:38.
8.
Possibility of death for Adam. Gen.
2:17.
9.
Man a soul. Gen. 2:7.
IV. Man's Relationship to God
10.
Adam placed under law. Gen.
2:16, 17.
11.
A little lower than angels. Gen.
1:27, 28; Ps. 8:5, 6.
V. Man's Diet and Stewardship
12.
Man's original diet. Gen. 1:29.
13.
Man's stewardship. Gen. 1:28.
THE LESSON
Introduction
"The great Jehovah had laid the foun-
dations of the earth; He had dressed the
whole world in the garb of beauty and had
filled it with things useful to man; He had
created all the wonders of the land and of
the sea. In six days the great work of
creation had been accomplished."-Patri-
archs
and Prophets,
page 47.
Organisms of the Dry Land
1.
What was the first work of the
sixth day? Gen. 1:24, 25.
2.
On what day of creation week
did the production of living forms
from nonliving matter end? Gen. 1:
31 to 2:3; Ex. 20:11; Heb. 4:3.
NoTE.-During the Dark Ages a theory
known as spontaneous generation was gen-
erally accepted, even by highly educated
people. According to this erroneous theory,
the earth was still obeying the command of
the Creator to bring forth plants and ani-
mals. See Gen. 1:11, 24. The Bible makes
clear, however, that the appearance of liv-
ing forms from nonliving matter ended with
the sixth day. Actually, of course, spon-
taneous generation of life, in the sense that
the earth unaided produced living things,
did not occur even during creation week.
3.
How many times in Genesis 1
do the expressions "after his kind," or
"after their kind" appear? Gen. 1:11,
12, 21, 24, 25.
Noiill-The expression "after his kind"
is especially significant in our day, when
the doctrine of evolution is so widely
taught and accepted. According to evolu-
tion, life began in one or more very simple
forms which gradually produced forms
more and more complex (that is, unlike
themselves) until after many millions of
years the hundreds of thousands of modern
species were produced. This would mean
that man is a descendant of beasts.
In sharp contrast with this developmental
concept are the assertions of Genesis. The
record is that God created all the basic
types of plants and animals, and man, on
days three, five, and six. At its first ap-
pearance each basic type had the distinctive
characteristics of its kind. The limitation
"after his kind" established a natural law,
an insurmountable barrier between the
basic types, both in extent of variation and
in ability to cross reproductively.
[16]
Creation of Adam and Eve
4.
Name the steps followed in the
creation of man. Gen. 2:7. Compare
Gen. 1:26, 27.
5.
Describe Eve's origin. Gen. 2:
18-24. Compare Gen. 1:27.
Man's Nature
6.
What is said of man's resem-
blance to his Creator? Gen. 1:27.
NoTE.—"When Adam came from the
Creator's hand, he bore, in his physical,
mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to
his
Maker."—Education,
page 15.
Man was the only created earthly being
endowed with reason and the power of
choice. God planted within him an incli-
nation, or tendency, toward good—a dis-
position to do right.
7.
Because of his unique creation
in God's image, what was Adam's
relationship to God? Luke 3:38.
NoTE.—The Bible makes clear that Adam
was not blood-related to the animals. Man
is the child of God by a special act of
creation. Even the most noble beast has no
future hope after death. Through Christ's
righteousness fallen man is again eligible
to become a member of the household of
God. Every human being has the privilege
of being twice the son of God, first by crea-
tion and then by redemption. See Gen.
1:27; Luke 3:38; Rom. 8:1-3, 14-17.
"After the earth with its teeming animal
and vegetable life had been called into
existence, man, the crowning work of the
Creator, and the one for whom the beauti-
ful earth had been fitted up, was brought
upon the stage of action. To him was given
dominion over all that his eye could be-
hold. . . . Here is clearly set forth the ori-
gin of the human race; and the divine
record is so plainly stated that there is no
occasion for erroneous conclusions. God
created man in His own image. Here is no
mystery. There is no ground for the sup-
position that man was evolved by slow
degrees of development from the lower
forms of animal or vegetable life. Such
teaching lowers the great work of the Cre-
ator to the level of man's narrow, earthly
conceptions."—Pa
Ware hs and Prophets,
pages 44, 45.
8.
What clue does the creation ac-
count contain regarding man's orig-
inal nature with respect to mortality
and immortality? Gen. 2:17. Com-
pare 1 Tim. 6:15, 16.
NOTE
.—M ortal
means "subject to death,"
"destined to die;"
immortal
means "exempt
from liability to die," "imperishable." As
Genesis 2:17 makes evident, man had what
we might call conditional immortality. It
was possible for him to live on forever on
condition of obedience, or to die, as he
himself might choose. Neither everlasting
life nor death was inevitable.
9.
Is it correct to say that man
has
a
soul, or that he
is
a soul? Gen. 2:7.
NoTE.—"We as Adventists believe that,
in general, the Scriptures teach that the
soul of man represents the whole man,
and not a particular part independent of
the other component parts of man's nature;
and further, that the soul cannot exist apart
from the body, for man is a
unit."—Ques-
tions on Doctrine,
page 515.
Man's Relationship to God
10.
Under what special restriction
were Adam and Eve placed? Gen. 2:
16, 17.
NoTE.—The single limitation specified in
Genesis 2:16, 17 is sufficient to reveal that,
from the very beginning, Adam was placed
under certain regulating principles, or laws.
[17]
"God placed man under law, as an indis-
pensable condition of his very existence.
He was a subject of the divine government,
and there can be no government without
law."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 49.
"Adam and Eve, at their creation, had a
knowledge of the law of God. It was
printed on their hearts, and they understood
its claims upon them."—Ellen G. White
Comments,
S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol.
1, p. 1104.
11.
What was man's original posi-
tion on earth and in the universe?
Gen. 1:27, 28; Ps. 8:5, 6.
NoTE.—"Human beings were a new and
distinct order."—Ellen G. White,
Review
and Herald,
Feb. 11, 1902, p. 81. "While
they remained true to God, Adam and his
companion were to bear rule over the
earth. Unlimited control was given them
over every living
thing."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 50. "Satan's dominion was
that wrested from Adam, but Adam was
the vicegerent of the Creator. His was not
an independent rule. The earth is God's,
and He has committed all things to His
Son. Adam was to reign subject to Christ.
When Adam betrayed his sovereignty into
Satan's hands, Christ still remained the
rightful
King."—The Desire of Ages,
page
129.
Man's Diet and Stewardship
12.
What diet was originally given
to man? Gen. 1:29.
NOTE.—"In order to know what are the
best foods, we must study God's original
plan for man's diet. He who created man
and who understands his needs appointed
Adam his food. 'Behold,' He said, 'I have
given you every herb yielding seed, . . .
and every tree, in which is the fruit of a
tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for
food.' . . . Upon leaving Eden to gain his
livelihood by tilling the earth under the
curse of sin, man received permission to eat
also 'the herb of the field.' . . . Grains,
fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the
diet chosen for us by our Creator."—The
Ministry of Healing,
pages 295, 296.
13.
What responsibility does man
bear in relation to the lower orders
of creation? Gen. 1:28.
NoTE.—"He was placed, as God's repre-
sentative, over the lower orders of being.
They cannot understand or acknowledge
the sovereignty of God, yet they were made
capable of loving and serving
man."—Patri-
archs and Prophets,
page 45.
"He who will abuse animals because he
has them in his power is both a coward and
a tyrant. A disposition to cause pain,
whether to our fellowmen or to the brute
creation, is satanic. Many do not realize
that their cruelty will ever be known, be-
cause the poor dumb animals cannot reveal
it. But could the eyes of these men be
opened, as were those of Balaam, they
would see an angel of God standing as a
witness, to testify against them in the
courts above. A record goes up to heaven,
and a day is coming when judgment will
be pronounced against those who abuse
God's creatures."—Ibid., page 443.
Lesson 6, for May 8, 1965
The Memorial of Creation
MEMORY VERSE:
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou
labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy
God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is
within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and
all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Ex. 20:8-11.
[ 18 ]
STUDY HELP:
"The Desire of Ages," chapter 29.
AIM:
A better appreciation of the origin and significance of the Sabbath.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
Check Here
Wednesday:
Questions 11, 12; be-
Sunday:
Questions 1-4.
❑
gin reading study helps.
❑
Monday: Questions 5-7.
❑
Thursday:
Read study helps.
❑
Tuesday:
Questions 8-10.
❑
Friday:
Review entire lesson.
❑
Lesson Outline:
III.
Scope of Sabbath Memorial
Introduction
I. Origin of the Sabbath
1.
All creation very good. Gen.
1:31.
2.
The Creator rests. Gen. 2:2.
3.
Sabbath blessed and sanctified. Gen.
2:2, 3.
4.
Reason for the blessing and sancti-
fication. Gen. 2:3.
II. Identity and Length of the Sabbath
5.
Sabbath and seventh day the same.
Ex. 20:11.
6.
A memorial of creation. Ex. 20:11;
31:17.
7.
First Sabbath and our Saturday.
8. Memorializes the creation of this
earth. Ex. 20:11.
IV. The Sabbath Command Identifies
the True God
9. Identifies God as the Creator. Ex.
20:8-11.
10. The Sabbath for all men. Mark
2:27.
V. Significance and Duration of Sab-
bath Observance
11. Sign identifying worshipers of true
God. Ezek. 20:12, 20.
12. To be observed in the new earth
throughout eternity. Isa. 66:22, 23.
THE LESSON
Introduction
" 'The importance of the Sabbath as a
memorial of creation is that it keeps ever
present the true reason why worship is due
to God'-because He is the Creator, and
we are His creatures. 'The Sabbath there-
fore lies at the very foundation of divine
worship, for it teaches this great truth in
the most impressive manner, and no other
institution does this. The true ground of
divine worship, not of that on the seventh
day merely, but of all worship, is found in
the distinction between the Creator and
His creatures. This great fact can never
become obsolete, and must never be for-
gotten.' . . . It was to keep this truth ever
before the minds of men, that God in-
stituted the Sabbath in Eden; and so long
as the fact that He is our Creator continues
to be a reason why we should worship
Him, so long the Sabbath will continue as
its sign and memorial."-The
Great Con-
troversy,
pages 437, 438.
Origin of the Sabbath
1.
What is said of God's created
works at the close of the sixth day?
Gen. 1:31.
2.
Contrast the Creator's use of the
seventh day with His use of the first
six days. Gen. 2:2.
19 ]
NorE.—The Creator had worked on the
days which we now call Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Fri-
day. But on the seventh day, our Saturday,
He "rested," literally "ceased" from His
labors (Gen. 2:2), because His work was
complete and perfect. By purposefully re-
fraining from creative work on the seventh
day, He distinguished that day as effectively
as His labor on the preceding days had dis-
tinguished them.
3.
How was the seventh day differ-
entiated from the preceding days of
creation week? When was this done?
Gen. 2:2, 3.
NorE.—"After resting upon the seventh
day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a
day of rest for man. . . .
"In Eden, God set up the memorial of
His work of creation, in placing His bless-
ing upon the seventh day. The Sabbath
was committed to Adam, the father and
representative of the whole human family.
Its observance was to be an act of grateful
acknowledgment, on the part of all who
should dwell upon the earth, that God was
their Creator and their rightful Sovereign;
that they were the work of His hands and
the subjects of His
authority."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
pages 47, 48.
The blessing and setting apart of the
seventh day may have occurred at a vesper
service at set of sun as the day closed. We
read in Genesis 2:3, "God blessed . . . and
sanctified . . . because that in it he
had
rested."
4.
What reason is given for the
blessing and sanctification of the
seventh day of the week? Gen. 2:3.
NOTE.—"As in sanctifying an individual,
so also to sanctify a day means to declare
it holy and to set it apart for a sacred pur-
pose. The implication, borne out by later
evidence, is that the blessing and sanctify-
ing pertained not alone to that single day,
but that each recurring seventh day would
be similarly distinctive."—T. H. Jemison,
Christian Beliefs,
page 279.
Identity and Length of the
Sabbath
5.
How does the fourth command
of the Decalogue link the seventh day
and the Sabbath together? Ex. 20:11.
6.
Of what is the Sabbath a sign,
or memorial? Ex. 20:11; 31:17.
NOTE.—"The six creation days, accord-
ing to the words of the text, were earthly
days of ordinary duration. In the absence
of any clear light to the contrary, we must
understand the seventh in the same way;
and that all the more, because in every
passage in which it is mentioned as the
foundation of the earthly Sabbath, it is
regarded as an ordinary
day."—S.D.A. Bible
Commentary,
Gen. 2:2.
7.
Is our Saturday the same day of
the week that God blessed and sancti-
fied at the close of creation?
Answer:
Under the article "Week"
(page 1140) in the
Seventh-day Adventist
Bible Dictionary,
is a clear portrayal of the
fact that the weekly cycle has remained un-
changed from creation down to the pres-
ent. There is not the slightest doubt that
our modern Saturday is the same day upon
which the Creator rested, and which He
blessed for all time.
NOTE.—"Like the Sabbath, the week
originated at creation, and it has been
preserved and brought down to us through
Bible history. God Himself measured off
the first week as a sample for successive
weeks to the close of time. Like every
other, it consisted of seven literal days. Six
days were employed in the work of crea-
tion; upon the seventh, God rested, and
He then blessed this day and set it apart
as a day of rest for
man."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 111.
20
Scope of Sabbath Memorial
8.
For what portion of the universe
was the Sabbath instituted as a me-
morial? Ex. 20:11.
NoTE.—"When the morning stars sang
together, and all the sons of God shouted
for joy, the Sabbath was given to the
world, that man might ever remember that
in six days God created the
world."—Testi-
monies,
vol. 8, p. 197.
The Sabbath Command Identifies
the True God
9.
In what words does the fourth
commandment identify the true God,
and thus distinguish Him from all
false gods? Ex. 20:8-11.
10.
For whom was the Sabbath
made? Mark 2:27.
Nom—"The Sabbath was not for Israel
merely, but for the world. It had been
made known to man in Eden, and, like
the other precepts of the Decalogue, it is
of imperishable obligation."—The
Desire
of Ages,
page 283.
"There is nothing in the Sabbath that
restricts it to any particular class of peo-
ple. It was given for all mankind. It is to
be employed, not in indolence, but in the
contemplation of the works of God. This
men are to do that they may 'know that
I am the Lord that sanctify them.'
"—
Testimonies to Ministers,
pages 136, 137.
Significance and Duration of
Sabbath Observance
11.
Of what is the observance of
the seventh-day Sabbath a sign? Ezek.
20:12, 20.
NOTE.—"Those who would have the seal
of God in their foreheads must keep the
Sabbath of -the fourth commandment. This
is what distinguishes them from the dis-
loyal, who have accepted a man-made in-
stitution in the place of the true Sabbath.
The observance of God's rest day is the
mark of distinction between him that
serveth God and him that serveth Him
not."—Ellen G. White Comments,
S.D.A.
Bible Commentary, vol.
7, p. 970.
"Had the Sabbath been universally kept,
man's thoughts and affections would have
been led to the Creator as the object of
reverence and worship, and there would
never have been an idolator, an atheist, or
an infidel. The keeping of the Sabbath is a
sign of loyalty to the true God, 'Him that
made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and
the fountains of waters.' It follows that the
message which commands men to worship
God and keep His commandments will
especially call upon them to keep the fourth
commandment."—The
Great Controversy,
page 438.
"The Sabbath given to the world as the
sign of God as the Creator is also the sign
of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that
created all things is the power that re-
creates the soul in His own likeness. To
those who keep holy the Sabbath day it is
the sign of sanctification. . . . The Sab-
bath is the sign of obedience. He who from
the heart obeys the fourth commandment
will obey the whole law. He is sanctified
through obedience."—Testimonies, vol. 6, p.
350.
12.
What did Isaiah say of the
observance of the Sabbath in the new
earth? Isa. 66:22, 23.
NOTE.—"The Sabbath was instituted in
Eden before the Fall, and was observed by
Adam and Eve, and all the heavenly host.
God rested on the seventh day, and blessed
and hallowed it. I saw that the Sabbath
never will be done away; but that the
redeemed saints, and all the angelic host,
will observe it in honor of the great Crea-
tor to all eternity."—Early
Writings,
page
217.
"When Eden shall bloom on earth again,
God's holy rest day will be honored by all
beneath the sun."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 283.
[
21]
Lesson 7, for May 15, 1965
The Biblical Portrayal of Origins
MEMORY VERSE:
"Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteous-
ness and true holiness." Eph. 4:24.
STUDY HELP:
"S.D.A. Bible Commentary."
AIM:
To observe how Christ and many of the Bible writers confirmed the Genesis
story of creation.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
Sunday: Questions 1-4.
❑
Monday: Questions 5-8.
❑
Tuesday: Questions 9-11.
❑
Check Here
Wednesday: Question 12; begin
reading study helps.
Thursday: Read study helps.
Friday: Review entire lesson.
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. Bible References to Creation
1.
In thirty books of the Bible.
II. The Psalmist and the Wise Man
2.
Instantaneous origin at creation.
Ps. 33:6-9.
3.
Man created on a level far above
beasts. Ps. 8:5-8.
4.
Man and animals formed from
dust. Eccl. 3:19, 20; Gen. 1:26, 27;
7:13-15, 21, 22.
III. Christ Accepted the Genesis
Account
5. Man was created, not evolved.
Matt. 19:4-6.
IV. Paul Affirms the Creation Account
6.
On the origin of light. 2 Cor. 4:6.
7.
On the origin of kinds. 1 Cor.
15:38, 39.
8.
On the origin of man. Acts 17:26;
1 Cor. 15:45.
9.
On the significance of man's crea-
tion in God's image. Eph. 4:24;
Col. 3:10.
10.
On the order of origin of man and
woman. 1 Tim. 2:13, 14; 1 Cor.
11:8, 9.
11.
On a completed creation. Heb.
4:3, 4.
V. The Love of God Versus Evolution
12. Evolution incompatible with God's
nature.
1
John 4:8, 16.
THE LESSON
Introduction
Contrary to common opinion, those who
believe in the evolutionary theory are by
no means all atheists or agnostics. A large
proportion of them profess to be theists,
who say they accept the Bible and believe
there is a God who created all things, a
God who sustains our universe moment by
moment by the continuous application of
His power. Most of these theistic evolu-
tionists are to be found
in
the popular
churches.
Most modern scientists do not accept the
literal Genesis record in the formulation of
their theories. Scientists exert an uncanny
power over the minds of some men, who
almost worship their opinions. Because
[ 22 ]
certain scientists believe living things have
arisen by evolution, that is, by gradual
development from simple to complex and
specialized, the man on the street and
popular theologians also accept the doc-
trine of evolution. They reject the simple,
straightforward account of Genesis 1 and
2 as a literal account, and describe it as
mythical, allegorical, or poetic—anything
but factual and historical. The Scriptures
themselves, on the other hand, treat the
Genesis account of a special creation as
strictly historical.
"Inferences erroneously drawn from facts
observed in nature have, however, led to
supposed conflict between science and rev-
elation; and in the effort to restore har-
mony, interpretations of Scripture have
been adopted that undermine and destroy
the force of the Word of God. . . . In
order to account for His works, must we
do violence to His
Word?"—Education,
pages 128, 129.
Bible References to Creation
1.
How widely do Bible writers
refer to the origin of our earth?
Answer:
Many books of the Bible refer
to the creation of the earth. The following
list is representative. The book of Genesis
has two chapters in which such reference
is made; Exodus, two; 1 Samuel, one;
2 Kings, one; 1 Chronicles, one; 2 Chroni-
cles, one; Nehemiah, one; Job, five;
Psalms, nineteen; Proverbs, one; Ecclesi-
astes, two; Isaiah, seven; Jeremiah, six;
Amos, three; Jonah, one; Zechariah, one;
Malachi, one; Matthew, one; Mark, one;
John, one; Acts, three; Romans, one; 1
Corinthians, three; 2 Corinthians, one;
Ephesians, one ; Colossians, one ; 1 Timo-
thy, two; Hebrews, five; 2 Peter, one;
Revelation, three. In no instance do the
Bible writers even suggest a possibility of
origin by evolution.
The Psalmist and the Wise Man
2.
In what language did the psalm-
ist express faith in the doctrine of
creation? Ps. 33:6-9.
NOTE.—"The sophistry in regard to the
world's being created in an indefinite period
of time is one of Satan's falsehoods. God
speaks to the human family in language
they can comprehend. He does not leave
the matter so indefinite that human beings
can handle it according to their theories.
When the Lord declares that He made the
world in six days and rested on the seventh
day, He means the day of twenty-four
hours, which He has marked off by the
rising and setting of the
sun."—Testimo-
nies to Ministers,
pages 135, 136.
"The assumption that the events of the
first week required thousands upon thou-
sands of years, strikes directly at the foun-
dation of the fourth commandment. It
represents the Creator as commanding men
to observe the week of literal days in
commemoration of vast, indefinite periods.
This is unlike His method of dealing with
His creatures. It makes indefinite and
obscure that which He has made very plain.
It is infidelity in its most insidious and
hence most dangerous form; its real char-
acter is so disguised that it is held and
taught by many who profess to believe the
Bible."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 111.
3.
What did the psalmist say about
the origin of man? Ps. 8:5-8.
NOTE.—Evolutionists affirm that man at
his first appearance as a man some 500,000
years ago was of bestial origin and only
slightly more humanlike than apelike. For
instance, the Java man (Pithecanthropus
erectus) has been called Adart. The Bible,
on the other hand, pictures man as created
from the dust a wholly new, distinct, and
elevated order of being.
4.
What do men and beasts have in
common, and in what ways are they
markedly different? Eccl.
3:19, 20;
Gen. 1:26, 27; 7:13-15, 21, 22. Com-
pare Gen. 2:7.
Nom—According to Genesis 2:7, 19,
man and animals, instead of evolving from
other creatures, were formed directly from
the dust, and were depender t upon God for
the breath of life. We are told that "the
jewel of the mind" is "that which elevates
[ 23 ]
man above the
beasts."—Testimonies,
vol.
8, p. 127.
"Every human being, created in the
image of God, is endowed with a power
akin to that of the Creator—individuality,
power to think and to
do."—Education,
page 17.
Christ Accepted the Genesis
Account
5.
What declaration of Christ con-
firms the Genesis account of man's
origin? Matt. 19:4-6. Compare Gen.
1:27; 2:24.
NOTE.—"What shall be said about the
interpretative approach that teaches a doc-
trine of 'creation by evolution'? Our an-
swer is that the system of hermeneutics
[the science of interpretation] that en-
deavors to accommodate Gen. 2 to evolu-
tion attacks the integrity and infallibility
of the entire Bible and sets the church
adrift upon a sea of doubt and uncertainty
as to just what is God's divine revelation
and what is merely folklore. The meta-
phorical or symbolical interpretation also
puts under a cloud the intelligence and re-
liability of Christ, who quoted Gen. 1:27
and 2:24 as a reliable historical account of
the creation of man and woman."—Ray-
mond F. Surburg,
Darwin, Evolution, and
Creation
(edited by P. A. Zimmerman),
page 77.
Paul Affirms the Creation Account
6.
What was the apostle Paul's at-
titude toward the Genesis account of
creation of light? 2 Cor. 4:6. Com-
pare Gen. 1:2, 3.
7.
What did Paul say concerning
the origin of the various life forms?
1 Cor. 15:38, 39. Compare Gen. 1:11,
12, 21, 24, 25.
NoTE.—According to the doctrine of evo-
lution all animals are blood-related, whereas
"Remember that Duty has a
twin sister, Love; these
united can accomplish almost
everything, but separated,
neither is capable of good."
—Testimonies,
vol. 4, p. 62.
Genesis describes a separate creative act
for each basic type of plant and animal,
so that each was made distinctly different
from all others.
8.
What did Paul declare concern-
ing man's origin? Acts 17:26; 1 Cor.
15:45.
9.
How does Paul account for
man's development as a moral being?
Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10.
NoTE.—According to the doctrine of evo-
lution, as man arose among the beasts he
gradually acquired a knowledge of God
and of what is right and wrong. In sharp
contrast, according to the record of a spe-
cial creation, man was in God's image at
the time of his first appearance. Gen. 1:27.
"God created man in His own image.
Here is no mystery. There is no ground
for the supposition that man was evolved
by slow degrees of development from the
lower forms of animal or vegetable life.
Such teaching lowers the great work of the
Creator to the level of man's narrow,
earthly conceptions. Men are so intent
upon excluding God from the sovereignty of
the universe that they degrade man and
defraud him of the dignity of his origin."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
pages 44, 45.
10.
What other details of the Gen-
esis account of man's origin did
, Paul
accept? 1 Tim. 2:13, 14; 1 Cor. 11:
8, 9. Compare Gen. 2:7, 18, 21, 22;
3:6.
[ 24 ]
11.
In what words did the writer
of Hebrews express confidence in
creation as a specific, completed act?
Heb. 4:3, 4.
NOTE.—"As regards this earth, Scripture
declares the work of creation to have been
completed. 'The works were finished from
the foundation of the world.' . . . But the
power of God is still exercised in upholding
the objects of His
creation."—Education,
pages 130, 131.
The Love of God Versus Evolution
12.
What quality in God's nature
appears to be incompatible with the
process of evolution? 1 John 4:8, 16.
Nora.—"After the earth with its teeming
animal and vegetable life had been called
into existence, man, the crowning work of
the Creator, and the one for whom the
beautiful earth had been fitted up, was
brought upon the stage of action. To him
was given dominion over all that his eye
could behold. . . . [Gen. 1:26, 27 quoted.]
Here is clearly set forth the origin of the
human race; and the divine record is so
plainly stated that there is no occasion for
erroneous conclusions. God created man in
His own image. Here is no mystery. There
is no ground for the supposition that man
was evolved by slow degrees of develop-
ment from the lower forms of animal or
vegetable life. Such teaching lowers the
gfeat work of the Creator to the level of
man's narrow, earthly conceptions."—Patri-
archs
and Prophets,
pages 44, 45.
The Bible makes it clear that God cre-
ated a perfect world outfitted to make man
completely happy, one in which each plant
and animal was specially created and fitted
into its complex environmental niche. No
animals died during this process. Through
the warp of plant life in the marvelous web
of life was woven the beautiful woof of
animal life where all kinds existed harmoni-
ously. It was a peaceful creation produced
by a God of love, a creation in which the
created forms neither hurt nor destroyed.
"It was very good." Gen. 1:31.
Lesson 8, for May 22, 1965
The Creator-Sustainer; His Servants
MEMORY VERSE:
"Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made heaven, the
heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are
therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all; and
the host of heaven worshipeth Thee." Neh. 9:6.
STUDY HELPS:
"Testimonies," vol. 8, pp. 259, 260; "The Ministry of Healing,"
pages 416-418; "Patriarchs and Prophets," pages 111-116; "S.D.A. Bible
Commentary."
AIM:
An understanding of the Bible principles at work in the manifestations of
God's creative omniscience and omnipotence.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
❑
Monday: Questions 4-7.
❑
Tuesday: Questions 8-10.
❑
Check
Here
Wednesday: Questions
11, 12;
begin reading study helps.
Thursday: Read study helps.
Friday: Review entire lesson.
253
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. The Sustainer of the Universe
1.
Relation of the Creator to creation.
Neh. 9:6; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3.
2.
God's freedom in nature. Ps.
135:6, 7.
3.
God's use of natural processes.
Ps. 119:89-91.
II. God's Providence in the Natural
World
4.
In the starry heavens. Isa. 40:26.
5.
In the water cycle in nature. Ps.
147:8, 16; Jer. 10:13.
6.
In supplying food for the animals.
Ps. 104:20-27; 145:9, 15, 16.
7. In causing the animals to seek their
food. Ps. 104:28.
III. God's Continuous Providence in
Behalf of Man
8. God's care for plants and animals
an assurance to man. Matt. 6:
26-30; Luke 12:6, 7.
9. Living man a manifestation of the
power of a personal God. Acts
17:28.
10. God's minute knowledge of man's
body. Matt. 10:29-31.
IV. God's Interest in the Whole Man
11. Care for his spiritual needs. Ps.
145:14; Matt. 11:28-30.
12. Assurance that God will make good
His promises. Jer. 31:35, 36.
THE LESSON
Introduction
In the earlier centuries Christians were
of the opinion that God originated and con-
trolled all the processes of the natural world
in a mysterious way which man could
never discover or understand. Later, when
scientists discovered that natural processes
were governed by fixed laws, it seemed at
first to make God unnecessary. As a result,
many scientists became atheists. The true
concept, however, is that God conducts His
universe in harmony with laws which He
Himself has ordained in nature and which
operate continually under His direct con-
trol.
The Bible believer does well to study
God's Word with the understanding that
what are known today as laws of biology,
chemistry, and physics are in truth regular
ways that God has of manifesting His
power in the natural world. In upholding
His universe in accordance to laws which
He has Himself ordained, God employs the
agency of the Holy Spirit and heavenly
angels who operate in both the material and
the spiritual realm.
The Sustainer of the Universe
1. What is the Creator's relation to
the universe? Neh. 9:6; Col. 1:17;
Heb. 1:3.
NOTE.—"In dwelling upon the laws of
matter and the laws of nature, many lose
sight of, if they do not deny, the continual
and direct agency of God. They convey
the idea that nature acts independently of
God, having in and of itself its own limits
and its own powers wherewith to work. In
their minds there is a marked distinction
between the natural and the supernatural.
The natural is ascribed to ordinary causes,
unconnected with the power of God. .
"This is false science; there is nothing in
the Word of God to sustain it. . . . It is
not by an original power inherent in na-
ture that year by year the earth yields its
bounties and continues its march around
the sun. The hand of infinite power is
perpetually at work guiding this planet.
It is God's power momentarily exercised
that keeps it in position in its rotation."—
Testimonies,
vol. 8, pp. 259, 260.
2. What does the psalmist say
about the Lord's activities in nature?
Ps. 135:6, 7.
NOTE.—"There is much talk about God
in nature, as if the Lord were bound by
the laws of nature to be nature's servant.
Many theories would lead minds to sup-
pose that nature is a self-sustaining agency
[26
]
apart from the Deity, having its own in-
herent power with which to work. In this
men do not know what they are talking
about. Do they suppose that nature has a
self-existing power without the continual
agency of Jehovah? The Lord does not
work through His laws to supersede the
laws of nature. He does His work through
the laws and properties of His instruments,
and nature obeys a 'Thus saith the Lord.'"
—Testimonies,
vol. 6, p. 186.
3.
How does the psalmist describe
the objects and processes of nature?
Ps. 119:89-91.
NOTE.—"Many teach that matter pos-
sesses vital power—that certain properties
are imparted to matter, and it is then left
to act through its own inherent energy; and
that the operations of nature are conducted
in harmony with fixed laws, with which
God Himself cannot interfere. This is false
science, and is not sustained by the Word
of God. Nature is the servant of her Cre-
ator. God does not annul His laws or
work contrary to them, but He is con-
tinually using them as His instruments.
Nature testifies of an intelligence, a pres-
ence, an active energy, that works in and
through her laws. There is in nature the
continual working of the Father and the
Son. Christ says, 'My Father worketh
hitherto, and I work.' John
5:17."—Patri-
archs and Prophets,
page 114.
God's Providence in the Natural
World
4.
What do the Scriptures say about
the origin and operation of the
heavenly bodies? Isa. 40:26.
NOTE.—The atheist assumes the heavenly
bodies arose by chance without benefit of
a Creator, and operate by purely natural
forces.
5.
How is moisture provided for
the use of plants and animals? Ps.
147:8, 16; Jer. 10:13.
NOTE.—"The material world is under
God's control. The laws of nature are
obeyed by nature. Everything speaks and
acts the will of the Creator. Cloud and
sunshine, dew and rain, wind and storm,
all are under the supervision of God, and
yield implicit obedience to His command.
It is in obedience to the law of God that
the spire of grain bursts through the
ground, 'first the blade, then the ear, after
that the full corn in the ear.' Mark 4:28.
These the Lord develops in their proper
season because they do not resist His work-
ing. And can it be that man, made in
the image of God, endowed with reason
and speech, shall alone be unappreciative of
His gifts and disobedient to His will? Shall
rational beings alone cause confusion in
our world
?"—Christ's Object Lessons,
pages 81, 82.
6.
Upon what source does all ani-
mal life depend for food? Ps. 104:
20-27; 145:9, 15, 16.
7.
In order to be fed, what must
the animal do? Ps. 104:28.
God's Continuous Providence in
Behalf of Man
8.
What assurance does God's care
for the plant and animal creation
bring to our hearts? Matt. 6:26-30;
Luke 12:6, 7.
9.
Do our bodies function because
of impersonal forces set in operation
in the past, or because a personal God
cares for us moment by moment?
Acts 17:28.
NoTE.—"The mechanism of the human
body cannot be fully understood; it pre-
sents mysteries that baffle the most in-
telligent. It is not as the result of a
mechanism, which, once set in motion, con-
tinues its work, that the pulse beats and
[ 27 ]
breath follows breath. In God we live and
move and have our being. Every breath,
every throb of the heart, is a continual
evidence of the power of an ever-present
God."—Testimonies,
vol. 8, p. 260.
10.
What statement reveals how
minutely God knows our physical be-
ing? Matt. 10:29-31.
God's Interest in the Whole Man
11.
As Creator-Sustainer, what be-
sides our physical being does God sus-
tain? Ps. 145:14; Matt. 11:28-30.
12.
To what did God point as a
guarantee of the surety and perma-
nence of His everlasting covenant
with Israel? Jer. 31:35, 36.
NoTE.—The
permanence and dependabil-
ity of the natural processes as manifesta-
tions of God's keeping power are a guaran-
tee of the surety and permanence of His
everlasting covenant with spiritual Israel
to do them good. Because God sustains
moment by moment the marvelous com-
plexity of our natural world, we may rest
assured that He likewise will be faithful
in fulfilling His promises to those who
serve Him.
Lesson 9, for May 29, 1965
The Origin of False Scientific Theories
MEMORY VERSE:
"For all
have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Rom. 3:23.
STUDY HELPS:
"Patriarchs and Prophets," pages 33-43, 52-62; "S.D.A. Bible Com-
mentary."
AIM:
An understanding of the origin of sin, first in heaven, then on earth.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
Wednesday:
Read study helps.
❑
Sunday:
Questions 1-5.
❑
Thursday:
Read further from study
Monday:
Questions 6-8.
❑
helps.
❑
Tuesday:
Questions 9-12.
❑
Friday:
Review entire lesson.
❑
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I.
Lucifer Becomes Satan
1.
Lucifer before his fall. Ezek.
28:11-13, 15.
2.
Lucifer's exalted position. Ezek.
28:14.
3.
Lucifer's ambitious plans. Isa. 14:
12-14; Ezek. 28:15, 17.
4.
Lucifer's sympathizers. 2 Peter
2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 12:4, 7.
5.
Results of rebellion. Rev. 12:8, 9.
II. A Test of Loyalty
6.
Man's original relationship to God.
Ps. 8:4-8.
7.
Man's loyalty tested. Gen. 2:16, 17.
8.
The forbidden fruit. Gen. 3:6.
( 28 ]
III. False Interpretation of Observed
Facts
9.
Satan's deceptive theory about the
fruit. Gen. 3:6.
10.
The results of accepting a false
theory. Gen. 3:10, 16-19, 23, 24;
Rom. 5:12.
11.
A warning against Satan's sophistry.
2 'Cor. 11:3.
12.
Protection against Satan's sophis-
try. Ps. 119:11, 165.
THE LESSON
Introduction
"We are dependent on the Bible for a
knowledge of the early history of our
world, of the creation of man, and of his
fall. Remove the Word of God, and what
can we expect than to be left to fables and
conjectures, and to that enfeebling of the
intellect which is the sure result of enter-
taining error. We need the authentic his-
tory of the origin of the earth, of the fall
of the covering cherub, and of the introduc-
tion of sin into our world. Without the
Bible, we should be bewildered by false
theories. The mind would be subjected to
the tyranny of superstition and falsehood.
But having in our possession an authentic
history of the beginning of our world, we
need not hamper ourselves with human con-
jectures and unreliable theories."—Medical
Ministry,
page 89.
Lucifer Becomes Satan
1.
Under the figure of the king of
Tyre, what description is given of
Lucifer before his fall? Ezek. 28:11-
13, 15.
2.
What exalted position did Luci-
fer hold in heaven? Ezek. 28:14.
NOTE.—"There was one who perverted
the freedom that God had granted to His
creatures. Sin originated with him who,
next to Christ, had been most honored of
God and was highest in power and glory
among the inhabitants of heaven. Lucifer,
`son of the morning,' was first of the cover-
ing cherubs, holy and
undefiled."—Patri-
archs and Prophets,
page 35.
"He persistently defended his own course,
and fully committed himself to the great
controversy against his Maker. Thus it was
that Lucifer, 'the light bearer,' the sharer
of God's glory, the attendant of His throne,
by transgression became Satan, 'the adver-
sary' of God and holy beings and the
destroyer of those whom Heaven had com-
mitted to his guidance and guardianship."
—Ibid.,
p. 40.
3.
What ambitious plan took shape
in Lucifer's heart? Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek.
28:15, 17.
NOTE.—"In all the counsels of God,
Christ was a participant, while Lucifer was
not permitted thus to enter into the divine
purposes. 'Why,' questioned this mighty
angel, 'should Christ have the supremacy?
Why is He thus honored above Lucifer?'"
—The Great Controversy,
page 495.
"And I saw that when God said to His
Son, Let Us make man in Our image, Satan
was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be
consulted concerning the formation of man.
He was filled with envy, jealousy, and
hatred. He wished to be the highest in
heaven, next to God, and receive the high-
est
honors."—Spiritual Gifts, vol.
1, p. 17.
4.
Who were associated with Luci-
fer in rebellion? 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6;
Rev. 12:4, 7.
NOTE.—"Satan in his rebellion took a
third part of the angels. They turned from
the Father and from His Son, and united
with the instigator of rebellion."—Testi-
monies,
vol. 3, p. 115. See also
Ibid.,
vol.
5, p. 291.
5.
What was the result of Lucifer's
rebellion? Rev. 12:8, 9.
[ 29 ]
NOTE.—"Was
cast out.
Satan and his
angels were cast out of heaven in ages past
(2 Peter 2:4), prior to the creation of this
world (PP 36-42; cf. EW 145, 146; GC
498-500; 3SG 36-39; 1SP 17-33). Never-
theless, it seems that until the cross he had
access to heavenly beings, and to a limited
extent, possibly as 'prince of this world'
(John 12:31; Luke 4:6), but not as an in-
habitant of heaven, to the precincts of
heaven (DA 761; cf. SR 26,
27)."—S.D.A.
Bible Commentary,
on Rev. 12:9.
"When it was decided that he could no
longer remain in heaven, Infinite Wisdom
did not destroy Satan. Since the service of
love can alone be acceptable to God, the
allegiance of His creatures must rest upon
a conviction of His justice and benevolence.
The inhabitants of heaven and of other
worlds, being unprepared to comprehend
the nature or consequences of sin, could not
then have seen the justice and mercy of
God in the destruction of Satan."—The
Great Controversy,
pages 498, 499.
A Test of Loyalty
6.
What was man's original re-
lationship to God, to the angels, and
to all creatures upon the earth? Ps.
8:4-8.
7.
How was man's loyalty to his
Creator tested? Gen. 2:16, 17.
Non..—"God placed man under law, as
an indispensable condition of his very exis-
tence. He was a subject of the divine gov-
ernment, and there can be no government
without law. God might have created man
without the power to transgress His law;
He might have withheld the hand of Adam
from touching the forbidden fruit; but in
that case man would have been, not a free
moral agent, but a mere automaton."—
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 49.
8.
What is said concerning the
fruit of the tree of knowledge? Gen.
3:6.
NOTE.
-
"It
[the fruit] was grateful to
the•taste, and, as she [Eve] ate, she seemed
to feel a vivifying power, and imagined her-
self entering upon a higher state of exis-
tence. Having herself transgressed, she be-
came a tempter to her husband, 'and he did
eat.' . . .
"There was nothing poisonous in the
fruit itself, and the sin was not merely in
yielding to appetite. It was distrust of
God's goodness, disbelief of His word, and
rejection of His authority, that made our
first parents transgressors, and that brought
into the world a knowledge of
evil."—Edu-
cation,
page
25.
False Interpretation of Observed
Facts
9.
What was Eve's reaction to the
serpent's theory about the fruit of the
forbidden tree? Gen. 3:6.
NOTE
.—Eve first "saw" that it was
"good"—she believed that the fruit God
had said was not desirable, was to be de-
sired. She accepted Lucifer's deceptive
analysis, and rejected God's plain declara-
tion that much more was involved than
met the eye. Having taken this step, Eve
was prepared to take the fruit, to eat it
herself, and to persuade Adam to do like-
wise.
Many modern scientists who claim to be
Christians place their understanding of na-
tural evidence above God's clear revelation.
The Bible clearly and simply portrays the
origin of living things by special creation,
but these men, wise above what is written,
place their own interpretation of the evi-
dence above God's plain declarations. The
book of nature is in perfect agreement with
the Bible, but only when natural facts are
Tape-recorded mission appeals for the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering
overflow projects are available for offering promotion in the Sabbath
school. Two seven-minute stories for only $2. Order through your Book
and Bible House.
[301
correctly interpreted. It is fatal, as Eve
discovered, to disbelieve and disobey God's
clearly expressed word because natural
facts
seem
to indicate something else.
10. Enumerate some of the results
of Adam and Eve's acceptance of
Satan's theory about the forbidden
fruit. Gen. 3:10, 16-19, 23, 24; Rom.
5:12.
11.
What warning did Paul give
against Satan's sophistries? 2 Cor.
11:3-
12.
What is one of the Christian's
protections against the sophistries of
Satan? Ps. 119:11, 165.
Lesson 10, for June 5, 1965
Results of Man's Sin, in the Natural World
MEMORY VERSE:
"As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the
curse causeless shall not come." Prov. 26:2.
STUDY HELPS:
"Education," pages 26, 27; "The Desire of Ages," pages 470-475;
"S.D.A. Bible Commentary."
AIM:
To study the consequences in the natural world of the controversy between
Christ and Satan.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General
survey.
❑
Tuesday:
Questions 6-9.
Sunday:
Questions 1-3.
❑
Wednesday:
Questions 10-13.
❑
❑
Monday:
Questions 4, 5; begin
Thursday:
Read study helps.
reading study helps.
❑
Friday:
Review entire lesson.
0
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. A Curse Upon the Earth
1.
A succession of curses upon
the
earth.. Gen. 3:17, 18; 4:11, 12;
6:13..
2.
Degenerate state of nature not ac-
cidental. Prov. 26:2.
3.
Why Job's affliction. Job 1:6-12;
2:1-7.
II. The "God" of This World
4.
Satan's dominion over the earth.
Eph. 2:2; Luke 4:6; 2 Cor. 4:4.
5.
Earth's true Owner; the eventual
owners. Ps. 24:1; Dan. 4:17; 7:18.
III. Changes in Man-Beast Relation-
ships Because of the Fall
6. Original man-beast relationship.
Isa. 11:6-9; 65:25.
I
31]
7. Change in man-beast relationship.
Gen. 9:2, 5; Prov. 12:10.
8. A change in man's original diet.
Gen. 1:29; 3:18.
9. A further change in man's diet.
Gen. 9:3-5.
IV.
Origin of Degenerated Forms of
Nature
10. Source of all life. Ps. 36:9.
11. Origin of thorns, thistles, tares, and
poisonous plants. Gen. 3:18.
12. Hard work a blessing in disguise.
Gen. 3:19.
V.
A Shield From the Destroyer
13. Man's protection. Ps.
34:7.
.
THE LESSON
Introduction
"Mighty issues for the world were at
stake in the conflict between the Prince of
light and the leader of the kingdom of
darkness. After tempting man to sin, Satan
claimed the earth as his, and styled him-
self the prince of this world. Having con-
formed to his own nature the father and
mother of our race, he thought to establish
here his empire. He declared that men bad
chosen him as their sovereign. Through his
control of men he held dominion over the
world. Christ had come to disprove Satan's
claim. As the Son of man, Christ would
stand loyal to God. Thus it would be
shown that Satan had not gained complete
control of the human race, and that his
claim to the world was false. All who de-
sired deliverance from his power would be
set free. The dominion that Adam had lost
through sin would be recovered."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 114.
A Curse Upon the Earth
1. What has fallen upon the earth
as a result of man's sin? Gen. 3:17,
18; 4:11, 12; 6:13.
NOTE.—"A heavy, double curse, first in
consequence of Adam's transgression, and
second, because of the murder committed
by Cain, was resting upon the earth."—
Spiritual Gifts, vol.
3, pp. 61, 62.
"The entire surface of the earth was
changed at the Flood. A third dreadful
curse rested upon it in consequence of sin."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 107.
"The curse did not come all at once. It
was first felt at Adam's fall, and increased
at the murder of Abel, and greatly increased
at the Flood. Since the Flood, as the hu-
man family have forgotten God, and have
followed in a course of disobedience, and
have transgressed His commandments, the
curse has rested heavier and heavier upon
men and upon the beasts. The trees and
all vegetation also have felt the effects of
the
curse."—Spiritual Gifts,
vol. 4, p. 122.
"Satan's power upon the human family
increases. If the Lord should not soon
come and destroy his power, the earth
would erelong be depopulated."—Testi-
monies, vol.
1, p. 304.
2.
What does Solomon say about
the origin of curses? Prov. 26:2.
NOTE.—"Like a sparrow in its flitting,
like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is
causeless does not alight." Prov. 26:2,
R.S.V.
Review the texts listed for question 1;
why were these curses pronounced upon the
earth?
3.
What was the source of Job's
affliction? Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7.
NorE.—From one point of view, God's
blessing consists of protection from the evil
power of Satan. Contrariwise, His curse
consists of a partial removal of His pro-
tecting care, with the result that Satan may,
to that extent, afflict.
"Satan works through the elements also
to garner his harvest of unprepared souls.
He has studied the secrets of the labora-
tories of nature, and he uses all his power
to control the elements as far as God al-
lows. When he was suffered to afflict Job,
how quickly flocks and herds, servants,
houses, children, were swept away, one
trouble succeeding another as in a mo-
ment. It is God that shields His creatures
and hedges them in from the power of the
destroyer. . . . Satan has control of all
whom God does not especially guard. He
will favor and prosper some in order to
further his own designs, and he will bring
trouble upon others and lead• men to be-
lieve that it is God who is afflicting them."
—The Great Controversy,
page 589.
The "God" of This World
4.
Who now exercises over the
earth the supremacy man formerly
possessed? Upon what basis does his
claim of sovereignty rest? Eph. 2:2;
Luke 4:6; 2 Cor. 4:4.
[ 32 ]
5.
To whom does the earth truly
belong? To whom, eventually, will
it be restored? Ps. 24:1; Dan. 4:17;
7:18.
NOTE.—"Satan's dominion was that
wrested from Adam, but Adam was the
vicegerent of the Creator. His was not an
independent rule. The earth is God's and
He has committed all things to His Son.
Adam was to reign subject to Christ. When
Adam betrayed his sovereignty into Satan's
hands, Christ still remained the rightful
King. Thus the Lord had said to King
Nebuchadnezzar, 'The Most High ruleth in
the kingdom of men, and giveth it to
whomsoever He will.' Dan. 4:17. Satan
can exercise his usurped authority only as
God permits."—The
Desire of Ages,
pages
129, 130.
Changes in Man-Beast Relation-
ships Because of the Fall
6.
Judging from the picture of
Eden restored, what relationship orig-
inally existed between animals and
man? Isa. 11:6-9; 65:25.
NOTE.—"While they remained true to
God, Adam and his companion were to bear
rule over the earth. Unlimited control was
given them over every living thing. The
lion and the lamb sported peacefully around
them or lay down together at their feet.
The happy birds flitted about them with-
out fear; and as their glad songs ascended
to the praise of their Creator, Adam and
Eve united with them in thanksgiving to
the Father and the
Son."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 50.
7.
What general condition do we
find in the world of living things
today? What relationship now exists
between man and animals? Gen. 9:2,
5; Prov. 12:10. Compare Rom. 8:22.
NoTE.—"Among the lower creatures
Adam had stood as king, and so long as he
remained loyal to God, all nature acknowl-
edged his rule; but when he transgressed,
this dominion was forfeited. The spirit of
rebellion, to which he himself had given
entrance, extended throughout the animal
creation. Thus not only the life of man,
but the nature of the beasts, the trees of the
forest, the grass of the field, the very air he
breathed, all told the sad lesson of the
knowledge of
evil."—Education,
pages
26, 27.
8.
What was man's original diet?
How was it changed after the Fall?
Gen. 1:29; 3:18.
NOTE.—"The divine punishment provided
also a partial change in diet. We evidently
are to conclude that the quantity and qual-
ity of grains and nuts and fruits originally
given to man were, as a result of the curse,
reduced to such an extent that man would
be required to look to the herbs for a por-
tion of his daily food. This change may
also have been due in part to the loss of
certain elements from the tree of life, to a
change in climate, and perhaps most of all
to man's sentence to hard labor in the
process of earning a livelihood."—S.D
A.
Bible Commentary,
on Gen. 3:18.
See note under lesson 5, question 12.
9.
Immediately after the Flood,
what additions were made to man's
diet? Why? Gen. 9:3-5.
NOTE.—"Before this time God had given
man no permission to eat animal food; he
intended that the race should subsist wholly
upon the productions of the earth; but now
that every green thing had been destroyed,
He allowed them to eat the flesh of the
clean beasts that had been preserved in the
ark."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 107.
"After the Flood the people ate largely
of animal food. God saw that the ways
of man were corrupt, and that he was dis-
posed to exalt himself proudly against his
Creator, and to follow the inclinations of
his own heart. And He permitted that
long-lived race to eat animal food to
shorten their sinful
lives."—Spiritual Gifts,
vol. 4, p. 121.
[ 33 ]
Origin of Degenerated Forms of
Nature
10.
What is the source of all life?
Ps. 36:9.
NOTE.—"The prince of evil, though pos-
sessing all the wisdom and might of an
angel fallen, has not power to create, or
to give life; this is the prerogative of God
alone."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 264.
11.
Whence came thorns and
thistles? Gen. 3:18.
NoTE.—"The same God who guides the
planets works in the fruit orchard and in
the vegetable garden. He never made a
thorn, a thistle, or a tare. These are
Satan's work, the result of degeneration,
introduced by him among the precious
things; but it is through God's immediate
agency that every bud bursts into blossom."
—Testimonies,
vol. 6, p. 186.
"Not one noxious plant was placed in the
Lord's great garden, but after Adam and
Eve sinned, poisonous herbs sprang up. . . .
All tares are sown by the evil one. Every
noxious herb is of his sowing, and by his
ingenious methods of amalgamation [hy-
bridization] he has corrupted the earth
with tares."—Ellen G. White Comments,
S.D A. Bible Commentary, vol.
1, p. 1086.
12.
How only, after the Fall, would
man be able to exercise a measure of
control over nature? Gen. 3:19. Com-
pare Eccl. 5:12.
NOTE.—"Those who are always busy, and
go cheerfully about the performance of
their dail8' tasks, are the most happy and
healthy. The rest and composure of night
brings to their wearied frames unbroken
slumber. The Lord knew what was for
man's happiness when He gave him work
to do. The sentence that man must toil for
his bread, and the promise of future happi-
ness and glory, came from the same throne.
Both are
blessings."—Testimonies, vol.
2,
pp. 529, 530.
A Shield From the Destroyer
13.
What protection does man
have against the destroyer? Ps. 34:7.
See also question 3.
NOTE.—"Faith in God's Word, prayer-
fully studied and practically applied, will be
our shield from Satan's power and will
bring us off conquerors through the blood
of
Christ."—Testimonies, vol.
1, p. 302.
Lesson 11, for June 12, 1965
The Antediluvian World
MEMORY VERSE:
"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest
not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou
shalt rule over him." Gen. 4:7.
STUDY HELPS:
"Patriarchs and Prophets," chapters 5, 6; "S.D.A. Bible Commen-
tary."
AIM:
To trace the conflict between good and evil in Adam's immediate descend-
ants.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
Wednesday: Question 12; begin
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
❑
reading study helps.
Monday: Questions 4-8.
❑
Thursday: Read study helps.
Tuesday: Questions 9-11.
❑
Friday: Review entire lesson.
[ 34
3
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. Source Information on Prehistoric
Man
1.
Genesis gives the only authentic
history of prehistoric man's origin.
II. The Story of Cain
2.
Two sons; their occupations. Gen.
4:1, 2.
3.
Abel's offering accepted; Cain's
refused. Gen. 4:3-5.
4.
Cain refuses God's counsel. Gen.
4:7, 8.
5.
Why Cain killed Abel. 1 John 3:12.
6. Cain's punishment. Gen. 4:11, 12.
7. Cain lived east of Eden. Gen.
4:16, 17.
8. Cain's wife. Gen. 5:4; 4:17.
III. Development of the Antediluvian
Races
9. Seth fills Abel's place. Gen. 4:25.
10. Development of a second race.
Gen. 6:2.
11. Civilization among the Cainites.
Gen. 4:17, 19-22.
IV. The Man Who Walked With God
12. Enoch's walk with God in the
world. Gen. 5:21-24.
THE LESSON
Introduction
"Unfortunately, students of history and
of anthropology too largely ignore . . .
[Genesis 4], which happens to be the only
authentic record of . . . [man's] early de-
velopment. Having cast off the only reliable
account of man's first deeds and achieve-
ments, practically all writers of the present
then proceed to draw very largely upon
their imagination, which happens to be cast
into the thought patterns of evolutionistic
conceptions. . . . Actual archaeological evi-
dence for earliest man is not available—and
the result is a highly fantastic and entirely
incorrect story of man's development from
the caveman stage, as it is claimed, to the
point where the first higher cultural achieve-
ments are found and the historical period
actually begins. At the same time the very
reliable Biblical chronology of chapter five
is distorted and generous insertions of long
periods of time are made, and so the value
of our chapter (4) is completely lost sight
of. For man not only did not start on the
low anthropoid or simian state that is us-
ually assumed, but as a human being he at
once stood on the high intellectual and
physical level that the preceding chapters
[Genesis 1 to 3] described. But, unfortu-
nately, the actual degradation that sin
brought is not reckoned with. Whereas
man was not an inferior being on a lower
level, such writing of history degrades him
without warrant. Whereas he was brought
low by the Fall, this pseudoscience ignores
his true degradation. In both respects the
chapter before us, being strictly historical
and entirely correct, serves to set the stu-
dent of the history of mankind right; and
at the same time it gives to all men a clear
account as to how man progressed and how
sin grew."—H. C. Leupold,
Exposition of
Genesis,
pages 186, 187.
Source Information on Prehistoric
Man
1. Where do we find the only au-
thentic written record of the begin-
nings of human history?
Answer:
"The Bible is the most compre-
hensive and the most instructive history
which men possess. It came fresh from
the fountain of eternal truth, and a divine
hand has preserved its purity through all
the ages. Its bright rays shine into the far
distant past, where human research seeks
vainly to penetrate. In God's Word alone
we find an authentic account of creation.
Here we behold the power that laid the
foundation of the earth and that stretched
out the heavens. Here only can we find a
history of our race, unsullied by human
prejudice or human
pride."—Testimonies,
vol. 5, p. 25.
35
The Story of Cain
2.
What names did Adam and Eve
give to their first two children? Upon
reaching maturity, what honorable oc-
cupations did these young men
choose? Gen. 4:1, 2.
3.
What incident resulted in Cain's
harboring a feeling of jealousy and
hatred toward his brother? Gen. 4:
3-5.
NoTE.—"Cain and Abel represent two
classes that will exist in the world till the
close of time. One class avail themselves
of the appointed sacrifice for sin; the other
venture to depend upon their own merits;
theirs is a sacrifice without the virtue of
divine mediation, and thus it is not able to
bring man into favor with God. It is only
through the merits of Jesus that our trans-
gressions can be pardoned. Those who feel
no need of the blood of Christ, who feel
that without divine grace they can by their
own works secure the approval of God, are
making the same mistake as did Cain. If
they do not accept the cleansing blood,
they are under condemnation. There is no
other provision made whereby they can be
released from the thralldom of
sin."—Patri-
archs and Prophets,
pages 72, 73.
4.
In what words did God counsel
Cain against being angry? What was
Cain's response? Gen. 4:7, 8.
5.
Was Cain's murderous act pre-
meditated, or the result of a momen-
tary flash of anger? Why did he kill
Abel? 1 John 3:12. Compare Gen.
4:8.
with the fallen race, and gratefully accepted
the hope of redemption. But Cain cherished
feelings of rebellion, and murmured against
God because of the curse pronounced upon
the earth and upon the human race for
Adam's sin. He permitted his mind to run
in the same channel that led to Satan's fall
—indulging the desire for self-exaltation,
and questioning the divine justice and au-
thority."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 71.
6.
How was Cain punished for tak-
ing his brother's life? Gen. 4:11, 12.
7.
Where did Cain spend the re-
mainder of his life? Gen. 4:16, 17.
NOTE.—"Cain
went out.
He felt neither
remorse nor repentance, but only the heavy
burden of God's displeasure. He left the
divine presence, probably never to return,
and began his life as a wanderer in the land
of Nod, to the east of Eden. This ante-
diluvian land, whose name means 'wander-
ing,' flight,' or 'exile,' became the home of
the godless descendants of Cain."—S.D.A.
Bible Commentary,
on Gen. 4:16.
8.
Whom did Cain marry? Gen.
5:4; 4:17.
NOTE.—"Cain
knew his wife.
The sud-
den mention of Cain's wife creates no prob-
lem. Chapter 5:4 states that Adam 'begat
sons and daughters' besides the three sons
whose names are given. The earliest in-
habitants of earth had no other choice than
to marry their brothers and sisters in order
to fulfill the divine command, 'Be fruitful
and multiply.'
"—S.D.A. Bible Commen-
tary,
on Gen. 4:17.
Development of the Antediluvian
Races
NoTE.—"Cain and Abel, the sons of
Adam, differed widely in character. Abel
had a spirit of loyalty to God; he saw
justice and mercy in the Creator's dealings
9. Who was given Adam and Eve
to be the heir of the spiritual birth-
right in the place of Abel? Gen. 4:25.
[ 36 ]
10.
By the time of the Flood, how
many groups of men were there? Gen.
6:2.
NoTE.—"Cain lived only to harden his
heart, to encourage rebellion against the
divine authority, and to become the head
of a line of bold, abandoned sinners."—
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 78.
"The descendants of Seth had separated
themselves from the wicked descendants of
Cain. They cherished the knowledge of
God's will, while the ungodly race of Cain
had no respect for God and His sacred
commandments."—The
Spirit of Prophecy,
vol.
1, p. 65.
"For some time the two classes remained
separate. The race of Cain, spreading from
the place of their first settlement, dispersed
over the plains and valleys where the chil-
dren of Seth had dwelt; and the latter,
in order to escape from their contaminat-
ing influence, withdrew to the mountains,
and there made their
home."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 81.
"Those who honored and feared to offend
God, at first felt the curse but lightly.; while
those who turned from God and trampled
upon His authority, felt the effects of the
curse more heavily, especially in stature
and nobleness of form. The descendants of
Seth were called the sons of God—the de-
scendants of Cain, the sons of men."—Spiri-
tual Gifts, vol.
3, p. 60.
11.
When did invention and the
arts begin in human history? Gen.
4:17, 19-22.
Nom.—"Notwithstanding the wickedness
of the antediluvian world, that age was not,
as has often been supposed, an era of ig-
norance and barbarism. The people were
granted the opportunity of reaching a high
standard of moral and intellectual attain-
ment. They possessed great physical and
mental strength, and their advantages for
acquiring both religious and scientific
knowledge were unrivaled."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 82.
"There were many giants, men of great
stature and strength, renowned for wisdom,
skillful in devising the most cunning and
wonderful works; but their guilt in giving
loose rein to iniquity was in proportion to
their skill and mental ability."—Ibid., p. 90.
The Man Who Walked With God
12.
Which antediluvian patriarch
stands out with particular luster as a
model of right living? What sort of
life did he live? Gen. 5:21-24.
NOTE.—"Enoch's walk with God was not
in a trance or a vision, but in all the duties
of his daily life. He did not become a her-
mit, shutting himself entirely from the
world; for he had a work to do for God in
the world. In the family and in his inter-
course with men, as a husband and father,
a friend, a citizen, he was the steadfast, un-
wavering servant of the Lord.
"His heart was in harmony with God's
will."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 85.
Lesson 12, for June 19, 1965
The Flood
MEMORY VERSE: "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet,
moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he
condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by
faith." Hebrews 11:7.
STUDY HELPS: "Patriarchs and Prophets," pages 90-105; "S.D.A. Bible Commen-
tary."
AIM: To study the great Noachian Deluge, its times, and its 'significance.
[ 37 7
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check
Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
Check Here
Wednesday:
Questions 11-13;
Sunday:
Questions 1-4.
❑
begin reading study helps.
❑
Monday:
Questions 5-7.
❑
Thursday:
Finish reading study
Tuesday:
Questions 8-10.
❑
helps.
0
Friday: Review entire lesson.
Introduction
"I have been shown that without Bible
history, geology can prove nothing. Relics
found in the earth do give evidence of a
state of things differing in many respects
from the present. But the time of their
existence, and how long a period these
things have been in the earth, are only
to be understood by Bible history. . . . In-
spiration, in giving us the history of the
Flood, has explained wonderful mysteries,
that geology, independent of inspiration,
never
could."-Spiritual Gifts,
vol. 3, pp.
93, 94.
Time and Man Before the Flood
1. Approximately how much time
elapsed between creation week and
the Flood? Gen.
5; 7:6.
II. Preparation and Loading of the
Ark
5. Noah follows God's instruction in
preparing for the Flood. Gen.
6:13-16, 21, 22; Heb. 11:7.
6.
Animal population of the ark. Gen.
9:18; 6:18; 7:2, 3, 9.
7.
Size of the ark. Gen. 6:15.
The Deluge
8.
Source of the water. Gen. 7:11.
9.
Time required for Flood to crest;
maintenance of top level. Gen. 7:4,
12, 17, 24.
10.
Extent of the Flood. Gen. 7:19, 20.
Flood Survivors
11.
Living forms which survived the
Flood. Gen. 7:20-23; 8:11.
12.
Center of post-Flood distribution.
Gen. 8:4.
V. A Warning to Modern Man
13.
God will again destroy unrepentant
sinners. 2 Peter 3:3-7.
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. Time and Man Before the Flood
1.
Time span from creation to the
Flood. Gen. 5; 7:6.
2.
Intermarriage before the Flood.
Gen. 6:2.
3.
120 years of extended mercy. Gen.
6:3; 1 Peter 3:18-20.
IV.
4.
Cause of the Flood. Gen. 6:5, 7,
11-13.
THE LESSON
NOTE.
-"The dark history of Cain and
his descendants was an illustration of what
would have been the result of permitting
the sinner to live on forever, to carry out
his rebellion against God. The forbearance
of God only rendered the wicked moire
bold and defiant in their iniquity. Fifteen
centuries after the sentence pronounced
upon Cain, the universe witnessed the frui-
tion of his influence and example, in the
crime and pollution that flooded the earth."
-Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 78.
We do not know exactly how much time
elapsed from creation to the death of Abel,
but we do know that it was less than 130
years, because, after the death of Abel,
Seth was born when Adam was 130 years
old. Gen. 4:25;
5:3.
In this same chapter
an estimate of the time from creation to
the Flood can be made by adding the ages
of the ten patriarchs from Adam to Noah
when their named sons were born. "If the
38
record is complete, the
anno mundi
(A.m.)
[in the year of the world] scale of years
shows that the Flood came in the 1656th
year from creation, or A.M. 1656."—S.D.A.
Bible Commentary, vol.
1, p. 185.
2.
The intermarriage of what two
pre-Flood groups resulted in wicked-
ness and evil so widespread as to make
the destruction of the earth neces-
sary? Gen. 6:2.
NOTE.—"The
sons of God.
This phrase
has been interpreted in various ways. An-
cient Jewish commentators, the early church
Fathers, and many modern expositors have
thought these 'sons' to be angels, compar-
ing them with the 'sons of God' of Job
1:6; 2:1; 38:7. This view must be rejected,
because punishment soon to be meted out
was for the sins of human beings (see v. 3),
and not of angels. Further, angels do not
marry (Matt. 22:30). The 'sons of God'
were none other than the descendants of
Seth, and the 'daughters of men,' of the
godless Cainites (PP
81)."—S.D.A. Bible
Commentary,
on Gen. 6:2.
During the last few centuries before the
Flood there were two distinct groups of
men on the earth. "The descendants of Seth
had separated themselves from the wicked
descendants of Cain. They cherished the
knowledge of God's will, while the ungodly
race of Cain had no respect for God and
His sacred commandments."—The
Spirit
of Prophecy, vol.
1, p. 65.
3.
Although the sins of the ante-
diluvians justified man's immediate
destruction, how long did God wait
for them to repent? Who warned the
pre-Flood-world inhabitants of de-
struction by a flood, if they did not
repent? Gen. 6:3; 1 Peter 3:18-20.
NOTE.—"His
days.
This divine predic-
tion cannot mean that man's life span
would henceforth be restricted to 120 years.
(Compare ages of men after the Flood.)
They predict, rather, that God's patience
would come to an end and probation close
within the period of time here specified.
In the meantime, divine mercy lingered."—
S.D.A. Bible Commentary,
on Gen. 6:3.
"A hundred and twenty years before the
Flood, the Lord by a holy angel declared
to Noah His purpose, and directed him to
build an ark. While building the ark he was
to preach that God would bring a flood of
water upon the earth to destroy the wicked.
Those who would believe the message, and
would prepare for that event by repentance
and reformation, should find pardon and
be saved. Enoch had repeated to his chil-
dren what God had shown him in regard
to the Flood, and Methuselah and his sons,
who lived to hear the preaching of Noah,
assisted in building the
ark."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 92.
4.
Why did God destroy man and
beast in the Flood? Gen. 6:5-7, 11-13.
Preparation and Loading of the
Ark
5.
How carefully did Noah follow
the instruction of God in the prepara-
tion of the ark? Gen. 6:13-16, 21, 22;
Heb. 11:7.
NorE.—"While Noah was giving his
warning message to the world, his works
testified of his sincerity. It was thus that
his faith was perfected and made evident.
He gave the world an example of believing
just what God says. All that he possessed,
he invested in the ark. As he began to con-
struct that immense boat on dry ground,
multitudes came from every direction to
see the strange sight and to hear the ear-
nest, fervent words of the singular preacher.
Every blow struck upon the ark was a wit-
ness to the
people."—Patriarchs and Proph-
ets,
page 95.
6.
How many of each basic type, or
Genesis "kind," of the dry-land forms,
were preserved in the ark? How did
Noah, get the animals into the ark?
Gen. 9:18; 6:18; 7:2, 3, 9.
NOTE.—"Suddenly a silence fell upon the
mocking throng. Beasts of every descrip-
39 I
tion, the fiercest as well as the most gentle,
were seen coming from mountain and for-
est and quietly making their way toward
the ark. A noise as of a rushing wind was
heard, and lo, birds were flocking from all
directions, their numbers darkening the
heavens, and in perfect order they passed to
the ark. Animals obeyed the command of
God, while men were disobedient. Guided
by holy angels, they 'went in two and two
unto Noah into the ark,' and the clean
beasts by
sevens."—Patriarchs and Proph-
ets,
pages 97, 98.
7.
How large was the ark? Gen.
6:15.
NoTE.—"Every species of animals which
God had created was preserved in the ark."
—Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1,
p. 78. It seems
reasonable to assume that the word "spe-
cies" is used here to refer to the Genesis
"kind" or basic type. We need not concern
ourselves about the size of the ark more
than to accept the fact that it was suf-
ficiently large to hold representatives of all
the originally created basic land types plus
a great store of food. The great host of
water types, including whales and pos-
sibly even seals and the like, had to shift
for themselves in the tempestuous flood-
waters.
The Deluge
8.
From what sources did the flood-
waters come? Gen. 7:11.
NOTE.—"Water
appeared to come from
the clouds in mighty cataracts. Rivers
broke away from their boundaries, and
overflowed the valleys. Jets of water burst
from the earth with indescribable force,
throwing massive rocks hundreds of feet
into the air, and these, in falling, buried
themselves deep in the
ground."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 99.
"The whole surface of the earth was
changed at the Flood. A third dreadful
curse now rested upon it in consequence of
man's transgression. The beautiful trees and
shrubbery bearing flowers were destroyed,
yet Noah preserved seed and took it with
him in the ark, and God by His miracu-
lous power preserved a few of the different
kinds of trees and shrubs alive for future
generations. Soon after the Flood trees
and plants seemed to spring out of the
very rocks. In God's providence seeds were
scattered and driven into the crevices of
the rocks and there securely hid for the
future use of
man."—Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3,
pp. 76, 77.
9.
In how many days did the Flood
reach its highest point? How long
did it remain at this level? Gen. 7:4,
12, 17, 24.
Nora.—In
understanding the order of
the fossils in the rocks, which in undis-
turbed areas is quite generally from simple
and feeble below to complex and strong
above, it is important to observe that the
Flood came over the land, not in one great
overwhelming tidal wave which would bury
all animals together, but as a gradual ris-
ing of the tempestuous water. This would
enable animals which had the power of
vigorous locomotion to retreat for a shorter
or longer time above the rising water level
as long as higher ground was available, and
could result in the very order of distribu-
tion in the rocks that we find today.
10.
Was the Flood a local affair
confined to the Mesopotamian Valley,
or a worldwide cataclysm? Gen. 7:
19, 20.
NOTE.—"A
measure of the water is now
made by comparison with the only available
standard for such waters—the mountains.
They are said to have been 'covered.'
Not a few merely but 'all the high moun-
tains under all the heavens.' One of these
expressions alone would almost necessitate
the impression that the author intends to
convey the idea of the absolute universality
of the Flood,
e.g.,
'all the high mountains.'
Yet since 'all' is known to be used in a
relative sense, the writer removes all pos-
sible ambiguity by adding the phrase 'under
all the heavens.' A double
'all' (kol)
cannot
allow for so relative a sense. It almost
constitutes a Hebrew superlative. So we
believe that the text disposes of the ques-
[ 40 ]
Lion of the universality of the Flood."—
H. C. Leupold,
Exposition of Genesis,
on
Gen. 7:19, pages 301, 302.
If the Flood merely affected the Meso-
potamian Valley, there would have been no
need for Noah to spend 120 years and all
his possessions in the preparation of a great
structure in which to float up and down
the valley. Noah's family, and the ani-
mals as well, could have escaped the waters
comfortably by merely walking out of the
valley, and there would have been no need
at all for any provision for the birds. The
whole account of the Flood really becomes
absurd if the entire earth were not involved.
With regard to the highest antediluvian
mountains being covered by water, we do
well to be reminded that the mountains be-
fore the Flood were probably much lower
than our mountains today. Our present-
day mountains arose during the latter part
of the Flood, or during the early post-
diluvian centuries. If the surface of our
earth were leveled today, about a mile and
a half of water would stand above it.
Flood Survivors
11. Did any land animals, except
those
in the ark, survive the Flood?
What happened to land plants? Gen.
7:20-23; 8:11.
NoTE.—"The beautiful trees and shrub-
bery bearing flowers were destroyed, yet
Noah preserved seed and took it with him
in the ark, and God by His miraculous
power preserved a few of the different kinds
of trees and shrubs alive for future genera-
tions."—Spiritual Gifts,
vol. 3, pp. 76, 77.
12.
What spot on our earth's sur-
face became the center from which all
human beings, land animals, and some
land plants spread abroad over the
earth again after the Flood? Gen.
8:4.
NOTE.—"For a time the descendants of
Noah continued to dwell among the moun-
tains where the ark had rested. As their
numbers increased, apostasy soon led to
division. Those who desired to forget their
Creator, and to cast off the restraint of
His law, felt a constant annoyance from the
teaching and example of their God-fearing
associates, and after a time they decided to
separate from the worshipers of God. Ac-
cordingly they journeyed to the plain of
Shinar, on the banks of the river Euphrates.
They were attracted by the beauty of the
situation and the fertility of the soil, and
upon this plain they determined to make
their
home."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 118.
A Warning to Modern Man
13.
Of what should the destruc-
tion of the world by a flood in Noah's
day warn man today? 2 Peter
3:3-7.
Lesson 13, for June 26, 1965
Aftereffects of the Flood
MEMORY VERSE:
"And
[God] hath
made of one
blood all nations of men for to
dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." Acts 17:26.
Study Helps:
"Patriarchs and Prophets," chapters
8 and 10;
"S.D.A. Bible Commen-
tary;" "S.D.A. Bible Dictionary."
AIM: To study the effects of the Flood, and the peopling of the earth.
[ 41
1
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT AND RECORD
Check Here
Check Here
Sabbath afternoon: General survey.
❑
reading study helps.
❑
Sunday: Questions 1-3.
❑
Wednesday:
Questions 1 1-1 4.
❑
Monday:
Questions 4-8.
❑
Thursday:
Read study helps.
❑
Tuesday: Questions 9, 10; begin
Friday:
Review entire lesson.
❑
Lesson Outline:
Introduction
I. Effects of the Flood
1. Changes in the earth and its in-
habitants.
II. Noah and His Sons
2.
Noah's thank offering; God blesses
Noah and his family. Gen. 8:18-20;
9:1, 7.
3.
God's covenant with man. Gen.
8:21, 22; 9:9-16.
4.
Character of Noah's sons revealed.
Gen. 9:20-23.
5.
The curse on Canaan.
Gen. 9:24, 25.
6.
The progenitors of the race. Gen.
9:24-27; 10:1.
7.
Progenitor of the Redeemer. Luke
3:36.
8.
Japheth in the tents of Shem. Gen.
9:27.
Ill. The Peopling of the Earth
9.
Table of the nations. Gen. 10;
Acts 17:26.
10.
The Babel builders. Gen. 11:6-8.
IV. Final Destruction and Restoration
11.
Destruction of wicked described.
Rev. 20:7-10.
12.
Assurance that there will be no
future rebellion. Nahum 1:9; Rev.
21:4; 22:3.,
13.
The Lord's arsenal. Job 38:22, 23;
Isa. 28:17.
14.
Life in the new earth. Isa.
65:21-23.
THE LESSON
Introduction
"God had directed men to disperse
throughout the earth, to replenish and sub-
due it; but these Babel builders determined
to keep their community united in one
body, and to found a monarchy that should
eventually embrace the whole earth. Thus
their city would become the metropolis of
a universal empire; its glory would com-
mand the admiration and homage of the
world and render the founders illustrious.
The magnificent tower, reaching to the
heavens, was intended to stand as a monu-
ment of the power and wisdom of its
builders, perpetuating their fame to the
latest generations.
"The dwellers on the plain of Shinar
disbelieved God's covenant that He would
not again bring a flood upon the earth.
Many of them denied the existence of God
and attributed the Flood to the operation
of natural causes. Others believed in a
Supreme Being, and that it was He who
had destroyed the antediluvian world; and
their hearts, like that of Cain, rose up in re-
bellion against Him. One object before
them in the erection of the tower was to
secure their own safety in case of another
deluge. By carrying the structure to a much
greater height than was reached by the
waters of the Flood, they thought to place
themselves beyond all possibility of danger.
And as they would be able to ascend to
the region of the clouds, they hoped to
ascertain the cause of the Flood. The whole
undertaking was designed to exalt still fur-
ther the pride of its projectors and to turn
the minds of future generations away from
God and lead them into idolatry.
"When the tower had been partially
completed, a portion of it was occupied as
a dwelling place for the builders; other
apartments, splendidly furnished and
[ 42
"The mind will enlarge if it
is employed in tracing out
the relation of the subjects
of the Bible, comparing
scripture with scripture and
spiritual things with spiri-
tual."—Steps
to Christ,
page
90.
adorned, were devoted to their idols. The
people rejoiced in their success, and praised
the gods of silver and gold, and set them-
selves against the Ruler of heaven and
earth."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 119.
Effects of the Flood
1. Name some changes in the earth
and its inhabitants, caused by the
Flood.
Answer: (a)
Before the Flood the earth
was teeming with dry-land animals and
a considerable number of human beings.
After the Flood only the passengers and
living creatures preserved in the ark re-
mained alive. Gen. 7:21.
(b)
Before the Flood, apparently, the
area of dry land was more extensive than
that of water. "When God had formed the
earth, there were mountains, hills, and
plains, and interspersed among them were
rivers and bodies of water. . . . The waters
were regularly dispersed."—Spiritual
Gifts,
vol. 3, p. 33.
Today more than 70 percent of our globe
is covered with water.
(c)
After the Flood, swamps and deserts
appeared. Before the Flood, "There were
no loathsome swamps or barren deserts."—
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 44.
(d)
Large rock exposures were not seen
on the earth before the Flood. After the
Flood, rocks were visible in many places.
Before the Flood "the bare, high rocks
were never seen, . . but lay beneath the
surface, answering as bones to the earth."
—Spiritual Gifts,
vol. 3, p. 33.
After the Flood, "stones, ledges, and
ragged rocks were now scattered upon the
surface of the earth. In many places hills
and mountains had disappeared, leaving no
trace where they once stood; and plains
had given place to mountain ranges."—
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 108.
(e)
Gold, silver, and precious stones,
which before the Flood had beautified the
surface of the earth, were now buried. "By
the same means [wind-driven waves] the
silver and gold, the choice wood and pre-
cious stones, . . . were concealed from the
sight and search of men, the violent action
of the waters piling earth and rocks upon
these treasures."—Ibid.
(f)
Confused types of animals which had
been produced by hybridization within the
Genesis "kinds" were destroyed.
"Every species of animals which God had
created was preserved in the ark. The con-
fused species which God did not create,
which were the result of amalgamation
[hybridization], were destroyed by the
Flood."—The
Spirit of Prophecy, vol.
1,
p. 78.
(g)
"There were a class of very large
animals which perished at the Flood. God
knew that the strength of man would de-
crease, and these mammoth animals could
not be controlled by feeble
man."—Spiritual
Gifts,
vol. 4, p. 121.
"God is a lover of the beautiful; and in
the world which He has fitted up for us
He has not only given us everything neces-
sary for our comfort, but He has filled
the heavens and the earth with beauty. We
see His love and care in the rich fields of
autumn, and His smile in the glad sunshine.
His hand has made the castlelike rocks and
the towering mountains. The lofty trees
grow at His command; He has spread
earth's green velvet carpet and dotted it
with shrubs and flowers."—Counsels
to
Parents, Teachers, and Students,
page 185.
Noah and His Sons
2.
What was Noah's first act upon
leaving the ark? What blessing was
bestowed upon his family? Gen. 8:
18-20; 9:1, 7.
3.
What covenant did God estab-
lish with mankind after the Deluge?
What was the token of that covenant?
Gen. 8:21, 22; 9:9-16.
f 431
NOTE.—"The rainbow spanning the heav-
ens with its arch of light is a token of 'the
everlasting covenant between God and
every living creature.' . . • And the rain-
bow encircling the throne on high is also
a token to God's children of His covenant
of
peace."—Education,
page 115.
"This is the token.
This covenant be-
tween God and Noah brought to a con-
clusion the events connected with the
greatest catastrophe this earth has ever ex-
perienced. The earth, once beautiful and
perfect, offered a picture of utter desolation
as far as the eye could reach. Man had re-
ceived a lesson concerning the awful results
of sin. The unfallen worlds had seen the
fearful end to which man comes when he
follows the bidding of Satan."—S.D.A.
Bible
Commentary,
on Gen. 9:17.
4.
What incident in the life of
Noah after the Flood revealed the
depravity of one of his sons? Gen.
9:20-23.
5.
What was the result of this de-
praved act? Gen. 9:24, 25.
NOTE.—"The posterity of Canaan de-
scended to the most degrading forms of
heathenism. Though the prophetic curse
had doomed them to slavery, the doom was
withheld for centuries. God bore with their
impiety and corruption until they passed
the limits of divine forbearance. Then they
were dispossessed, and became bondmen to
the descendants of Shem and Japheth.
"The prophecy of Noah was no arbitrary
denunciation of wrath or declaration of
favor. It did not fix the character and
destiny of his sons. But it showed what
would be the result of the course of life
they had severally chosen and the char-
acter they had developed."—Patriarchs
and
Prophets,
page 118.
6.
What service did Noah's three
sons render in the peopling of the
earth? Gen. 9:24-27; 10:1.
NOTE.—"Noah, speaking by divine in-
spiration, foretold the history of the three
great races to spring from these fathers of
mankind."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page
117.
7.
Through which of Noah's sons
did the Redeemer come? Luke 3:36.
8.
What prophecy did Noah make
concerning Japheth? Gen. 9:27.
NOTE.—"The reverence manifested by
Shem and Japheth for their father, and
thus for the divine statutes, promised a
brighter future [than that of Ham] for
their descendants. Concerning these sons it
was declared: 'Blessed be Jehovah, God of
Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall
dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan
shall be his servant.' The line of Shem was
to be that of the chosen people, of God's
covenant, of the promised Redeemer. Je-
hovah was the God of Shem. From him
would descend Abraham, and the people
of Israel, through whom Christ was to
come. 'Happy is that people, whose God is
the Lord.' Psalm 144:15. And Japheth
`shall dwell in the tents of Shem.' In the
blessings of the gospel the descendants of
Japheth were especially to
share."—Patri-
archs and Prophets,
pages 117, 118.
"The meaning of the utterance may have
been twofold, inasmuch as Japheth's de-
scendants in the course of time took away
many of the Shemite lands, and dwelt in
them, and because the Japhethites were to
participate in the saving blessings of the
Shemites. When the gospel was preached
in Greek, a Japhethic language, Shem's de-
scendant Israel, though subdued by Japhet-
hic Rome, became the spiritual conqueror
of the Japhethites and thus, figuratively, re-
ceived them into his tents. All who are
saved are a part of spiritual Israel and go
into the holy city through gates bearing
the names of the 12 tribes of Israel (Gal.
3:29; Rev.
21:12)."—S.D.A. Bible Com-
mentary,
on Gen. 9:27.
The Peopling of the Earth
9.
In what way was the catalog of
the nations in Genesis 10 a confirma-
[ 44 ]
Lion of the truth- stated by- the apostle
Paul at Mars' Hill? Genesis 10; Acts
17:26.
NorE.—For a brief portrayal of the areas
of the earth peopled by the men and groups
of people named in Genesis 10, see
S.D.A.
Bible Commentary,
on Genesis 10.
10.
What account is given of the
dispersion of the races? Gen. 11:6-8.
Final Destruction and Restoration
11.
How is the final destruction of
the wicked described in the prophecies
of Revelation? Rev. 20:5 (first part),
7-10.
NoTE.—"At the close of the thousand
years the second resurrection will take place.
Then the wicked will be raised from the
dead and appear before God for the execu-
tion of 'the judgment written.' Thus the
revelator, after describing the resurrection
of the righteous, says: 'The rest of the
dead lived not again until the thousand
years were finished.' Revelation 20:5. And
Isaiah declares, concerning the wicked,
`They shall be gathered together, as prison-
ers are gathered in the pit, and shall be
shut up in the prison, and
after many days
shall they be visited.'
Isaiah 24:22."—The
Great Controversy,
page 661.
12.
What assurance
is
given that
there will be no future rebellion and
consequent destruction in God's uni-
verse? Nahum 1:9; Rev. 21:4; 22:3.
NoTE.—"Never will evil again be mani-
fest. Says the Word of God: 'Affliction
shall not rise up the second time.' . . . The
law of God, which Satan has reproached as
the yoke of bondage, will be honored as the
law of liberty. A tested and proved crea-
tion will never again be turned from al-
legiance to Him whose character has been
fully manifested before them as fathomless
love and infinite wisdom."—The
Great Con-
troversy,
page 504.
13.
What constitutes the Lord's
arsenal for destroying wicked men
and their devices? Job 38:22, 23; Isa.
28:17.
NOTE.—"The depths of the earth, are the
Lord's arsenal, whence were drawn weap-
ons to be employed in the destruction of
the old world. Waters gushing from the
earth united with the waters from heaven
to accomplish the work of desolation. Since
the Flood, fire as well as water has been
God's agent to destroy very wicked cities."
—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 109.
14.
How is life in the future, sin-
less
world
described? Isa. 65:21-23..
NOTE.—"In the Bible the inheritance of
the saved is called 'a country.' . . . There
the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to
fountains of living waters. The tree of life
yields its fruit every month, and the leaves
of the tree are for the service of the nations.
There are ever-flowing streams, clear as
crystal, and beside them waving trees cast
their shadows upon the paths prepared for
the ransomed of the Lord. . . . On those
peaceful plains, beside those living streams,
God's people, so long pilgrims and wan-
derers, shall find a home."—The
Great Con-
troversy,
page 675.
"The Bible is unchained. It
can be carried to every man's
door, and its truths may be
presented to every man's
conscience."—Counsels on
Sabbath School Work,
page
84.
[ 45 I •
HELPS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
in the study of the
Sabbath School Lessons
H 511,0,10
THIRTEENTH SABBATH OFFERING
June 26, 1965
Central European Division
The Central European Division is the great country of Germany,
and is comprised of the East, South, and West German Unions. In this
territory with a population of 74,605,800 people we have 833 churches
and nearly 41,000 church members and 48,600 Sabbath school members.
You can see that there are still many people in this land who need to
be reached with the message of a soon-coming Saviour. Germany be-
fore World War II was a very active home base for sending out mis-
sionaries to many parts of the world field. The war with all of its
aftermath restricted the missionary activities of the believers to their
own homeland, but the missionary zeal still burns in their hearts, and
despite the loss of homes and churches that our people suffered in the
war, from 1946 to 1963 they were able to baptize 17,500 souls. Un-
fortunately, they lost about
12,000
members by death during the same
period. A great number of our believers still live under very restricted
circumstances and are not able to contribute to the adVancement of
the work as they would like to do. Therefore, it is the privilege of
Sabbath school members around the world to contribute on June 26
toward a much-needed evangelistic center in the great city of Nurnberg.
Lessons for the Third Quarter of 1965
Sabbath school members who have failed to receive a senior
Lesson Quarterly
for the third quarter of 1965 will be helped by the following outline in studying
the first lesson. The title of the lessons for the quarter is "Facing Last-Day Decep-
tions." The title of the first lesson is "Promises to the Obedient." The memory verse
is Isaiah 1:19. The study help is
Steps to Christ,
chapters, "Faith and Acceptance"
and "The Test of Discipleship." The texts to be studied are:
Ques. 1. John 15:10.
Ques. 2. Phil. 2:8.
Ques. 3. Gen. 12:1, 4.
Ques. 4. Gen. 22:2, 3, 9-13.
Ques. 5. Gen. 22:16-18.
Ques. 6. Heb. 11:8, 17-19.
Ques. 7. James 2:21-24.
Ques. 8. Heb. 3:12, 13.
Ques. 9. Gal. 5:6.
Ques. 10. Rom. 1:5.
Ques. 11. 1 Peter 1:22, 23.
Ques. 12. Acts 6:7; Rom. 15:18.
Ques. 13. 2 Thess. 1:7-9.
Ques. 14. Isa. 1:19 ; Heb. 6:10-12.
[
471
(
A
.
".
r
iAOUTH GERMAN UNION
A.
‘11..,%
„....- ).
•
Numbers
''‘..
....."-
'',.. •.%
.....,..
i
t
1
•
e,
k
•
1
Stisttuort
d
r ••••••.:
•
0:
....../.
.4.
1
1
•
/
i
•
I
Prase*
•
Csechoslouakto
I
CHURCH BUILDINGS
IN DIVISION
North See
p--0
--
r, -
--
I
,
s---
---
.
(,
1
...I.'"
•
,,.
c
f-
L
4.,..1
rulionnovor \
,
:
,
2).....
Nothorloodt •,...
t
oi
1
, ,
i
1
WEST GERMAN UNION ‘.
0..
C........
11•1 t••• •
•
Dunehlort
Wort*
R tM
•••
=burg
Bronson
E
14.
Fonnkhirt
•
*4
EAST GERMAN_ UNION
C:
uip.igy"."•••N•
•
.....•
7
•••••..
•
A N
i1
11;
CENTRAL EUROPEAN DIVISION
usw•
tNon
Eat Gerson
18,403,800
South Gunton
26,352.030
West German
29,850,000
Division Tot*
74.60%800
Chinks
Gordo
klatben
SS.
Members
372
15,366
19,400
249
12,904
15,090
212
12,366
14,194
833
40,636
48,684
